Apparatus, method, program, and mobile terminal device with person image extracting and linking

ABSTRACT

Automatically preparing communications for transmission by a mobile terminal device. In one example, this includes storing contact information including personal contacts and associated address and face image information. A face image is extracted from within a still image content to obtain an extracted face image. The extracted face image is linked to a given personal contact among the personal contacts by finding a match corresponding to the extracted face image among previously extracted face images found in the stored contact information. The given personal contact is correlated to address information using the contact information, and a message is automatically prepared for transmission to the given personal contact using the address information.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/802,140, filed May 21, 2007, which claims priority from JapanesePatent Applications JP 2006-141071 and JP 2007-117394 filed in theJapanese Patent Office on May 22, 2006 and on Apr. 26, 2007respectively, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, aninformation processing method, an information processing program, and amobile terminal device that are well suited for adaptation to any one ofmobile devices, such as mobile phones, PHS phones (PHS: personalhandyphone system), and PDAs (PDA: personal digital assistant), andnotebook personal computers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hitherto, technology for detecting a face portion of an image of aperson from a photographic image has been used. For example, JapaneseUnexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-94035 (PatentPublication 1 (pp. 6 and 7; FIG. 3)) discloses an image processorcapable of appropriately compounding a face image of a person into a“backdrop”-like template image correspondingly to a pattern of a group(of persons) in a captured image.

In the disclosed image processor, a face detector portion detects a faceportion of an image of a person from a photographic image, and furtherdetects markers put on portions other than the face portion of the imageof the person. In accordance with the detected markers put on the imageof the person, a group identifying portion specifies or identifies theimage of the person belonging to the same group from the images of thepersons whose face portions have been detected. A template input portionoutputs to a composite portion a template image having the number ofcomposite regions identical to the total number of calculated markers. Atrimming portion extracts a face image of the person belonging to thesame group from the photographic image. An arranging portion arrangesthe face image in the composite region, and the compounding portioncompounds the face image arranged in the composite region and thetemplate image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As an example, a case can take place in which, while a group photographof persons is viewed, days spent with a specific one (user) of thepersons are recalled to the extent of motivating the user of the imageprocessor to communicate with the person (user). However, complicate andburdensome operations are necessary to communicate with the person(user) by means of, for example, a telephone phone or e-mail. Forexample, a telephone directory has to be activated, and registrationfields for private information of the person (user) has to be detected.Then, either a telephone call has to be made to a telephone numberstored in the registration fields for private information or an e-mailpiece has to be transmitted to an e-mail address stored therein.

In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide an informationprocessing apparatus, an information processing method, informationprocessing program, and a mobile terminal device with which, when adesired user is specified from a group photograph or the like, atelephone call and/or creation of an e-mail piece can be directlyimplemented for communication with the specified user.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an informationprocessing apparatus includes a face image extractor portion thatextracts a face image of a person in a still image content; a matchingimage detector portion that detects from a memory a matching face imagematching with the extracted face image, which has been extracted by theface image extractor portion, the memory containing or storing faceimages and communication address information of respective users; alinking processing portion that, when a matching face image matchingwith the extracted face image, which has been extracted by the faceimage extractor portion, is detected by the matching image detector,performs a linking process to link the extracted face image andcommunication address information corresponding to the extracted faceimage and stored in the memory; a communication address informationacquiring portion that, when the person is selected from the still imagecontent, acquires from the memory the communication address informationlinked by the linking process to the face image of the selected person;and a controller portion that controls a communication section to make atelephone call to a telephone number corresponding to the communicationaddress information acquired by the communication address informationacquiring portion or that performs display control to display on adisplay portion a creation screen for an e-mail piece having an inpute-mail address corresponding to the communication address information.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an informationprocessing method includes the steps of extracting a face image of aperson in a still image content; detecting from a memory a matching faceimage matching with the extracted face image, which has been extractedby the face image extractor portion, the memory containing or storingface images and communication address information of respective users;when a matching face image matching with the extracted face image, whichhas been extracted by the face image extractor portion, is detected bythe matching image detector, performing a linking process to link theextracted face image and communication address information correspondingto the extracted face image and stored in the memory; when the person isselected from the still image content, acquiring from the memory thecommunication address information linked by the linking process to theface image of the selected person; and controlling a communicationsection to make a telephone call to a telephone number corresponding tothe communication address information acquired by the communicationaddress information acquiring portion or that performs display controlto display on a display portion a creation screen for an e-mail piecehaving an input e-mail address corresponding to the communicationaddress information.

An information processing program includes causing a computer tofunction as a face image extractor portion that extracts a face image ofa person in a still image content; causing a computer to function as amatching image detector portion that detects from a memory a matchingface image matching with the extracted face image, which has beenextracted by the face image extractor portion, the memory containing orstoring face images and communication address information of respectiveusers; causing a computer to function as a linking processing portionthat, when a matching face image matching with the extracted face image,which has been extracted by the face image extractor portion, isdetected by the matching image detector, performs a linking process tolink the extracted face image and communication address informationcorresponding to the extracted face image and stored in the memory;causing a computer to function as a communication address informationacquiring portion that, when the person is selected from the still imagecontent, acquires from the memory the communication address informationlinked by the linking process to the face image of the selected person;and causing a computer to function as a controller portion that controlsa communication section to make a telephone call to a telephone numbercorresponding to the communication address information acquired by thecommunication address information acquiring portion or that performsdisplay control to display on a display portion a creation screen for ane-mail piece having an input e-mail address corresponding to thecommunication address information.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a mobileterminal device includes a memory that contains or stores face imagesand communication address information of respective users; a face imageextractor portion that extracts a face image of a person in a stillimage content; a matching image detector portion that detects from thememory a matching face image matching with the extracted face image,which has been extracted by the face image extractor portion; a linkingprocessing portion that, when a matching face image matching with theextracted face image, which has been extracted by the face imageextractor portion, is detected by the matching image detector, performsa linking process to link the extracted face image and communicationaddress information corresponding to the extracted face image and storedin the memory; a communication address information acquiring portionthat, when the person is selected from the still image content, acquiresfrom the memory the communication address information linked by thelinking process to the face image of the selected person; and acontroller portion that controls a communication section to make atelephone call to a telephone number corresponding to the communicationaddress information acquired by the communication address informationacquiring portion or that performs display control to display on adisplay portion a creation screen for an e-mail piece having an inpute-mail address corresponding to the communication address information.

According to the above, communication address information of images ofrespective persons are preliminarily detected from the memory and linkedtogether. When an image of a desired person is selected from the stillimage content displayed, communication address information preliminarilyliked to the person is read out from the memory, and a telephone call tothe person is made or an e-mail creation screen is displayed. Thereby,communication with the person can be directly made just by selection ofthe image of the person from the still image content.

As an effect or advantage of the present invention, just specifying adesired image of a person from a group photograph or the like makes itpossible to directly perform operations, such as telephone call to aperson and e-mail creation for the person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description andthe appended claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile phone of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are views showing an exterior of the mobile phone of theembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining various contents that are handled bythe Lifetime Calendar function provided in the mobile phone of thepresent embodiment;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing various set screens of the LifetimeCalendar function provided in the mobile phone of the presentembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a calendar-viewLifetime Calendar in the Lifetime Calendar function of the mobile phoneof the present embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing a display operation for thecalendar-view Lifetime Calendar in the mobile phone of the presentembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a view showing month and year indexes displayed on acalendar-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the calendar-view Lifetime Calendar set as astandby screen;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram for explaining an update operation that updatesa thumbnail image at a predetermined time interval in the event that themobile phone of the embodiment is displaying the calendar-view LifetimeCalendar;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram for explaining an update operation thatupdates a thumbnail image of a date, on which a focus is kept applied,at a predetermined time interval while the mobile phone of theembodiment is displaying a calendar-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a process in the range offrom displaying of a day-view the Lifetime Calendar in the mobile phoneof the embodiment to activation of an application program correspondingto a selected content;

FIG. 12 is a view showing an example of a list display screen of aday-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 13 is a view showing a display example of a thumbnail displayscreen of the day-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing the operation of graphicallydisplaying a new-schedule creation content on the calendar-view LifetimeCalendar when no content is present on a focused date on a calendar-viewLifetime Calendar;

FIG. 15 is a view showing a list display screen of a day-view LifetimeCalendar graphically displaying the new-schedule creation content;

FIG. 16 is a view showing a thumbnail display screen of the day-viewLifetime Calendar graphically displaying the new-schedule creationcontent;

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrance popupdisplay operation in the mobile phone of the embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a view showing a display example of a remembrance popupdisplay of a content presented on a calendar-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 19 is a view showing a display example of a remembrance popupdisplay of a content graphically displayed on a list display screen ofthe day-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 20 is a view showing a display example of a remembrance popupdisplay of contents presented on a thumbnail display screen of aday-view Lifetime Calendar;

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a display operation fordisplaying a remembrances list in the mobile phone of the embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a view showing a display example of a remembrances list;

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrance popupdisplay operation in accordance with the number of past contents in themobile phone of the embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrance popupdisplay operation in accordance with a past date and the number of pastcontents in the mobile phone of the embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram for explaining a linking process for linkingtogether a person imaged in a still image content and privateinformation of the person stored in a telephone directory in the mobilephone of the present embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a flow diagram for explaining operations for selecting aperson imaged in a still image content and for either making a telephonecall or transmitting an e-mail message to the person in the mobile phoneof the present embodiment;

FIG. 27 is a flow diagram for explaining an acquisition operation foracquiring private information of a person whose image is gray displayedon a still image content in the mobile phone of the present embodiment;and

FIG. 28 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrance popupdisplay operation that performs detection of a content by detecting a“per-year detection,” “per-month detection,” and “random detection” atrandom or predetermined probability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention can be adapted to a mobile phone. The followingdescribes the present invention with reference to an example case wherethe present invention is embodied in a mobile phone.

(Electrical Configuration of Mobile Phone)

With reference to FIG. 1, a mobile phone of an embodiment of the presentinvention includes an antenna 1 and a communications circuit 2 forwireless communication with a base station, a speaker portion 3 forobtaining acoustic outputs such as incoming sounds and receiving audio,a microphone portion 4 for receiving or collecting transmitting audio,and a display portion 5 for displaying motion and/or still images andcharacters, as well as a “lifetime calendar” described further below.

The mobile phone further includes an operation portion 6, a lightemitting portion 7 (LED: light emitting diode), a camera portion 8, anda vibration portion 9. The operation portion 6 is used for performingoperations, such as, for example, input operation to input charactersand the like, selection operation to select a desired menu. The lightemitting portion 7 is used for notifying or informing a user of outgoingand incoming calls by using light. The camera portion 8 is used forcapturing of still images and motion images of desired subjects. Thevibration portion 9 is used for notifying or informing the user of, forexample, outgoing and incoming calls by vibrating a housing of themobile phone.

The mobile phone further includes a timer 10, a memory 11, and acontroller portion 12. The timer 10 counts the current time. The memory11 stores, for example, a communication processing programs(communication program) for performing wireless communication processingvia the base station, various application programs, and various types ofdata (contents) to be handled by the respective application programs.The controller portion 12 provides total control of the mobile phone (Assuch, the controller portion 12 provides various types of controloperations, such as display control of the lifetime calendars, contents,icons, and focus moving and display control. However, such controloperations hereinbelow will not be described on each occasion unlessotherwise necessary).

The application programs stored in the memory 11 are an e-mailmanagement program for controlling, for example, e-mail creation andtransmission and reception; a camera control program that includes, forexample, an imaging control function for controlling imaging operationof the camera unit 8, and a viewer function for motion and still imagesthat are captured or acquired by the camera unit 8 or that are extractedacross a network and an input terminal; and a scheduler managementprogram for managing a scheduler in which user schedules are stored; atelephone directory management program for managing a telephonedirectory; and a music player program for playing back music contents.

The memory 11 further stores or contains a lifetime calendar applicationprogram that functions as so-called “launcher software.” The applicationprogram displays the “lifetime calendar” on the display portion 5, andcauses an application program corresponding to an information process,which is specified in accordance with the lifetime calendar, to beselected from the various types of application programs and to beactivated or driven.

The memory 11 further stores or contains various other data, such as,for example, a scheduler in which desired schedules of the user arestored; still images, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and birthdaysof acquaintances and friends of the user; music contents to be playedback in accordance with the music player program; still and motion imagecontents played back in accordance with the viewer function of thecamera control program; e-mail contents; outgoing and incoming callhistories of transmitted and received telephone calls and e-mail pieces;and a remembrances list or histories of operations of generating a“remembrance popup display” described further below.

(Exterior Configuration of Mobile Phone)

FIGS. 2A and 2B show one example of the exterior configuration of themobile phone of the present embodiment. As shown in the drawings, themobile phone of the present embodiment is of a so-called foldable typein which an upper housing portion 21 and a lower housing portion 22 areconnected foldable via a hinge portion 23. FIG. 2A is a view of themobile phone in an open state as viewed from an inner surface side (sideof surfaces mated with one another in the close state); and FIG. 2B is aview of the mobile phone in the open state as viewed from the outersurface side.

With reference to FIG. 2A, the mobile phone has a display portion 5 inthe upper housing portion 21. The mobile phone further has acommunicating speaker portion 3 and a second camera portion 8 b(in-camera portion) between an upper end portion 21 a of the housingportion 21 and an upper end portion 5 a of the display portion 5. Themobile phone further has an operation portion 6 and a microphone portion4, which is used for communication and surround audio collection,between the operation portion 6 and a lower end portion 22 a of thelower housing portion 22.

The operation portion 6 includes a cross key 24 and an enter key 25. Thecross key 24 is depressible in the upper-lower and left-rightdirections, and the cross key 25 is provided in a central portion of thecross key 24. The operation portion 6 further includes first to fourthkeys 26 to 29. In a normal case, these keys are used as follows. Thefirst soft key 26 is depressed when specifying activation of the e-mailmanagement program. The second soft key 27 is depressed when specifyingconnection to a network such as the Internet. The third soft key 28 isdepressed when specifying displaying of a main menu. The fourth soft key29 is depressed when allocating and using a desired command.

The operation portion 6 further includes an off-hook key 30, on-hook key31, clear key 32, and 12 twelve-keys 33. In a normal case, these keysare used as follows. The off-hook key 30 is depressed for taking themobile phone off-hook upon transmission or reception of communications.The on-hook key 31 is depressed to turn on/off the main power and toterminate communication. The clear key 32 is depressed, for example, toerase an input character(s) and to correct a specified operation. The 12twelve-keys 33 are allocated to, for example, numerals “0” to “9,”alphabets, an asterisk “*,” and a sharp “#.”

With reference to FIG. 2B, the mobile phone further has a first cameraportion 8 a (main camera portion) on a back surface side of the lowerhousing portion 22 (opposite side to a surface where the operationportion 6 is provided). More specifically, the mobile phone includes twolower face portions, a main camera portion 8 a and the in-camera portion8 b (mentioned above) constituting the camera unit 8 shown in the blockdiagram of FIG. 1. Primarily, the main camera portion 8 a is used tocapture images of, for example, other users (other than the user of thepresent mobile phone) and scenery, while the second camera portion 8 bis used to capture, for example, an image of the user of the presentmobile phone (so-called “self-image capture”).

(Outline of Lifetime Calendar)

The mobile phone of the present embodiment has a function (lifetimecalendar display function) that handles in batch various contents andthat list-displays the contents in the form of the aforementioned“lifetime calendar” which displays the contents in the form of a list orcalendar in time series. The contents are, but not limited to, imagecontents (still and motion image contents), e-mail contents, schedulecontents, and telephone directory contents that, ordinarily, are handledindependently of one another by corresponding dedicated applicationprograms.

The lifetime calendar is displayed under the control of the controllerportion 12 that operates in accordance with a lifetime calendarapplication program application stored in the memory 11. The lifetimecalendar application program is a contents-launcher software linked withan application program for the respective content. More specifically,when executing, for example, editing, a dedicated application programcorresponding to a content to be edited is activated.

A content for display on the lifetime calendar is arbitrarilyspecifiable in accordance with a “display setting function” and “filtersetting function” described further below.

The lifetime calendar application program further has a “ratingfunction” that randomly selects a representative content from among aplurality of contents by using a random number. For example, a case isnow assumed that, for example, there are too many still image contentsto be collectively displayed at one time (or, “batch-display,”hereinbelow). In such a case, the controller portion 12 randomly selectsa representative a still image content in accordance with the “ratingfunction,” and graphically displays it on the lifetime calendar.

Further, the representative content to be graphically displayed whencontents cannot be displayed at one time on the lifetime calendar ischanged at predetermined timing. In this case, a content other thancontents once displayed is selected and displayed as a representativecontent.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, a “focus” on the lifetimecalendar is moved corresponding to the operation of the operationportion 6, thereby to manipulate the lifetime calendar. The focus is adisplay pattern for displaying a frame portion or entirety of a displayitem such as a menu, content, or the like being selected by changing thebrightness and/or display color from that of a non-selected menu orcontent. Description herebelow will use such an expression as “the focusis positioned on . . . ” and its variations regarding operations formoving the focus.

In the present example, a selected menu, content, or the like ispresented to be recognizable by the user in the manner that the selectedmenu, content, or the like is “focus-positioned.” Alternately, however,the selected menu, content, or the like can be presented to berecognized in the fashion of so-called cursor movement.

The lifetime calendar application program further has a “remembrancepopup function.” When the focus is positioned on any date on thelifetime calendar for a predetermined time period or longer, theremembrance popup function overlays and displays a content correspondingto a past date (such as a one-year or one-month previous date) withrespect to the focus-positioned date on a part of the lifetime calendar.

(Metadata to be Handled on Lifetime Calendar)

FIG. 3 shows types of respective contents to be handled by the lifetimecalendar application program and part of metadata for the respectivecontents.

As seen in FIG. 3, the lifetime calendar application program handles“still image contents,” “received e-mail contents,” “transmitted e-mailcontents,” “schedule contents,” and “birthday content” stored in thetelephone directory.

Thus, as the types of contents to be handled by the lifetime calendarapplication program, FIG. 3 shows the still image contents, receivede-mail contents, transmitted e-mail contents, schedule contents, andbirthday contents that are stored in the telephone directory. However,not only those contents, but also contents such as motion image contentsand music contents are handled by the lifetime calendar applicationprogram.

(Metadata for Still Image Contents)

For a “still image content,” respective items of metadata are used forcapture time/storage time data, thumbnail images, managing titles, filetype icons (still image icons), file size icons, and acquisition sourceicons.

The capture time data represents information of time that is measured bythe timer 10. When storing a still image captured or acquired by thecamera unit 8 into the memory 11, the information of time is extractedand added by the controller portion 12 to a still image content.

However, among still images, a still image downloaded from apredetermined Web site is not provided with such added capture timedata. In such a case, when storing a still image content into the memory11, the controller portion 12 extracts information of time (=storagetime) from the timer 10, and then adds the information of time to thestill image. The presentation “capture time/storage time” in FIG. 3refers to that in the above-described case.

The thumbnail image is an image having a size of, for example, 120dots×160 dots formed by the controller portion 12. More specifically,when displaying a thumbnail image, the controller portion 12 forms thethumbnail image in real time in accordance with a source still imagecontent stored in the memory 11. When displaying a thumbnail image of amotion image content on the lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12forms a thumbnail image having the size of, for example, 120 dots×160dots in real time from, for example, a first frame image correspondingto the motion image content, and then displays the thumbnail image onthe lifetime calendar.

The managing title is data indicative of a title of a still imagecontent. When storing a still image content captured or acquired by thecamera unit 8 into the memory 11, the controller portion 12automatically adds to the still image content an image date and capturetime corresponding to current information of time extracted from thetimer 10. That is, as a managing title of a still image content capturedor acquired by the camera unit 8, a capture date and capture time areautomatically added to the image in the first stage.

The managing title is editable after the still image content has beenstored into the memory 11. For editing a desired managing title, a userdisplays a managing-title edit screen at a desired timing and operatesthe operation portion 6, thereby inputting the desired managing title onthe screen. In response, the controller portion 12 overwrites themanaging title input by the user with the capture date and capture timeautomatically added to the still image content. Thereby, the managingtitle of the still image content is altered to a desired managing title.

For a still image content already having an added managing title amongstill image contents acquired by, for example, downloading frompredetermined Web sites, the controller portion 12 handles the addedmanaging title as it is. For a still image contents without having anadded managing title, however, the controller portion 12 adds the dateand time of the downloading operation as a managing title. Theautomatically added managing title also is arbitrarily alterable by theuser on the managing title edit screen.

On the lifetime calendar, various image formats are handleable, such asJPEG, GIF (inclusive of an animation GIF) (GIF: Graphic InterchangeFormat), SWF (“Shockwave Flash” (stored trademark), and IFM (stamp andframe) formats.

The file type icon (still image icon) is an icon indicative of thepresence of a still image content in any one of the aforementioned imageformats. The file size icon is an icon indicative of the file size of astill image content.

The acquisition source icon is an icon indicative of an acquisitionsource of the still image content. For, for example, a still imagecontent captured or acquired by the camera unit 8, the lifetime calendardisplays an icon indicative that the acquisition source is the cameraunit 8. Alternately, for, for example, a still image content downloadedfrom a predetermined Web site, the calendar displays an icon indicativethat the acquisition source is the Web site.

In the event that, for example, graphical display of a still imagecontent on the lifetime calendar is specified, the controller portion 12operates to display the specified still image content in accordance withthe viewer function of the camera control program stored in the memory11.

(Metadata for Received E-Mail Contents)

For a “received e-mail content,” items of metadata for reception timedata, file type icon (received mail icon), “From” icon, transmissionsource name/transmission source address (or, “transmission sourcename/address,” hereafter), attached data icon, transmission sourceimage, subject-name icon, and subject-name data are handled on thelifetime calendar.

The reception time data is data indicative of the time of receipt of acorresponding e-mail piece. The controller portion 12 extractsinformation of time from the timer 10 at the timing of receipt of ane-mail piece, adds the extracted information of time to the receivede-mail piece, and stores the e-mail piece into the memory 11. Thecontroller portion 12 graphically displays on the lifetime calendar theinformation of time added to the e-mail piece as reception time data.

The file type icon (received mail icon) is an icon indicative of thepresence of a received e-mail content. One example is an icon that isformed of a sealed letter image with a down-pointing arrow to therebyrepresent the received e-mail content.

The “From” icon is an icon indicative of a display field for atransmission source name, and is represented by the word “From.”

The transmission source image is an image of a respective userregistered in the telephone directory. More specifically, registrationfields for images of respective users are provided in the telephonedirectory stored in the memory 11. In a normal case, the user of themobile phone stores a photographic image of, for example, a respectiveimage of the user's face captured or acquired by the camera unit 8 intothe registration fields of the telephone directory. The controllerportion 12 searches the telephone directory in accordance with an e-mailaddress accompanying a received e-mail content. Thereby, the controllerportion 12 detects a photographic image (=transmission source image) ofa user or a transmission source of the received e-mail content, anddisplays the image on the lifetime calendar. In this event, a case cantakes place in which an image size of the image stored in the telephonedirectory is different from a display size on the lifetime calendar. Inthis case, the controller portion 12 performs a compacting or enlargingprocess of the image to an image having the size of, for example, 120dots×160 dots, and then displays the image on the lifetime calendar.

The transmission source name/address is data indicative of atransmission source of a received e-mail piece. As the data indicativeof the transmission source of the received e-mail piece, anyone of thetransmission source name and address is displayed on the lifetimecalendar through operation of the controller portion 12.

More specifically, according to the controller portion 12, the priorityfor display on the lifetime calendar is determined to be the order as:transmission source image, transmission source name, and thentransmission source address. When a transmission source image, name, andaddress corresponding to a received e-mail piece are stored in thetelephone directory, the transmission source image is graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar. Alternately, when a transmissionsource image corresponding to a received e-mail piece is not stored, butthe transmission source name and address are stored therein, thetransmission source name is displayed on the lifetime calendar.Alternately, when a transmission source image and name corresponding toa received e-mail piece are not stored in the telephone directory, butwhen only a transmission source address is stored in the telephonedirectory or is unstored therein, the transmission source address isdisplayed on the lifetime calendar.

The attached data icon is an icon that is displayed on the lifetimecalendar through operation of the controller portion 12 in the case of areceived e-mail piece accompanying attached data such as image dataand/or music data. One example is an icon of a clip image displayed asthe attached data icon on the lifetime calendar through operation of thecontroller portion 12, whereby the presence of the attached data isdisplayed to the user.

The subject-name icon is an icon indicative of a display field for acaption (subject name) given to a received e-mail content. Thesubject-name data is a caption (subject name) given to a received e-mailcontent. The subject-name data, which is given to the received e-mailpiece, to be adjacent the subject-name icon is displayed on the lifetimecalendar.

In the event that displaying or the like of a received e-mail content isspecified on the lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12 activatesthe e-mail management program, which is stored in the memory 11, therebyto display text and the like of the specified received e-mail content.

In the event that display or the like of attached data attached to areceived e-mail content is specified on the lifetime calendar, thecontroller portion 12 activates an application program corresponding tothe attached data, thereby to graphically display the specified attacheddata. For example, in the case that a still image is attached asattached data, when graphical display of the attached data is specifiedon the lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12 graphically displayson the lifetime calendar the still image (attached data) in accordancewith the viewer function of the camera control program stored in thememory 11. Similarly, for example, in the case of a music contentattached as attached data, when regeneration of the attached data isspecified on the lifetime calendar, the music content (attached data) isplayed back in accordance with the music player program stored in thememory 11.

(Metadata for Transmitted E-Mail Contents)

For a “transmitted e-mail content,” items of metadata for transmissiontime data, file type icon (transmitted e-mail icon), “To” icon,addressee name/address, plural-persons icon, attached data icon,addressee image, subject-name icon, and subject-name data are handled onthe lifetime calendar.

The transmission time data is data indicative of the time oftransmission of a corresponding e-mail piece. The controller portion 12extracts information of time from the timer 10 at the timing oftransmission of an e-mail piece, adds the extracted information of timeto the transmitted e-mail piece, and stores the e-mail piece into thememory 11. The controller portion 12 graphically displays theinformation of time added to the e-mail piece on the lifetime calendaras transmission time data.

The file type icon (transmitted e-mail icon) is an icon indicative ofthe presence of a transmitted e-mail content. One example is an iconthat is formed of a sealed letter image with an up-pointing arrowrepresenting transmission.

The “To” icon is an icon indicative of a display field for a user name(addressee name), and is represented by the word “To.”

Similar to the transmission source image, the addressee image is animage of a respective user registered in the telephone directory. On thelifetime calendar, images of respective users stored in the telephonedirectory are handled as “transmission source images” and “addresseeimages.” As described above, in the case that the image size of an imagestored in the telephone directory is different from the display size onthe lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12 graphically displaysthe image on the lifetime calendar by performing the compacting orenlarging process of the image.

The addressee name/address is data indicative of an addressee of atransmitted e-mail piece. As the data indicative of the addressee of thetransmitted e-mail piece, anyone of the addressee name and address isdisplayed on the lifetime calendar.

More specifically, according to the controller portion 12, the priorityfor graphical display on the lifetime calendar is determined to be theorder as: addressee image, addressee name, and then addressee address.When an addressee image, name, and address corresponding to atransmitted e-mail piece are stored in the telephone directory, theaddressee image is graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar.Alternately, when an addressee image corresponding to a transmittede-mail piece is not stored, but the addressee name and address arestored therein, the addressee name is displayed on the lifetimecalendar. Alternately, when a addressee image and name corresponding toa transmitted e-mail piece are not stored in the telephone directory,but when only an addressee address is stored in the telephone directoryor is unstored therein, the addressee address is displayed on thelifetime calendar.

The plural-persons icon is an icon that is displayed when acorresponding transmitted e-mail content is an e-mail piecesynchronously transmitted to plural users. One example of theplural-persons icon is an icon formed from an image of three persons,thereby to enable the user to intuitively recognize that the e-mailpiece has been synchronously transmitted to plural persons.

In the present example, while the plural-persons icon is designed to bedisplayed only for an e-mail piece having been synchronously transmittedto plural persons, such as described above, the presentation manner isnot limited thereto. The functional arrangement can be such that evenwhen a received e-mail piece having been synchronously transmitted toplural persons, the plural-persons icon is displayed, thereby toindicate that the received e-mail piece has been synchronouslytransmitted to the plural persons.

The attached data icon is an icon that is displayed on the lifetimecalendar through operation of the controller portion 12 in the case of atransmitted e-mail piece accompanying attached data such as image dataand/or music data. One example is the icon of the clip image, asdescribed above.

The subject-name icon is an icon indicative of a display field for acaption (subject name) given to a transmitted e-mail content. Thesubject-name data is a caption (subject name) given to a transmittede-mail content. The controller portion 12 graphically displays on thelifetime calendar the subject-name data, which is given to thetransmitted e-mail piece, to be adjacent the subject-name icon on thelifetime calendar.

In the event that, for example, display of a transmitted e-mail contentis specified on the lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12activates the e-mail management program, which is stored in the memory11, thereby to display text and the like of the specified transmittede-mail content.

In the event that, for example, display of attached data attached to atransmitted e-mail content is specified on the lifetime calendar, thecontroller portion 12 activates an application program corresponding tothe attached data, thereby to display the specified attached data. Forexample, in the case that a still image is attached as attached data,when display of the attached data is specified on the lifetime calendar,the controller portion 12 graphically displays the still image (attacheddata) in accordance with the viewer function of the camera controlprogram stored in the memory 11. Similarly, for example, in the case ofa music content attached as attached data, when regeneration of theattached data is specified on the lifetime calendar, the music content(attached data) is played back in accordance with the music playerprogram stored in the memory 11.

(Metadata for Schedule Contents)

For a “schedule content,” items of metadata for schedule start timedata, file type icon (schedule icon), classification icon, dataindicative of a schedule summary/content, alarm icon, data indicative ofalarm ON/OFF setting, and holiday setting data are handled on thelifetime calendar.

The schedule start time data is data indicative of schedule start timedata stored in the scheduler. For graphically displaying a schedule onthe lifetime calendar, the controller portion 12 detects a schedulestart time stored in the scheduler, and displays the detected schedulestart time on the lifetime calendar.

The file type icon (schedule icon) is an icon indicative of the presenceof a schedule. For one example, the schedule icon is an icon of an imageof a calendar and pencil as a motif and is displayed on the lifetimecalendar.

The classification icon is an icon indicative of the classification ofstored schedules. When storing a schedule into the scheduler, the userselects a classification icon corresponding to a stored schedule fromlist-displayed classification icons. The lifetime calendar displays theclassification icon selected when the schedule has been selected by theuser, together with the schedule start time.

Data indicative of a schedule summary/content is data input into thefield for a caption (subject name) of a schedule when the user storesthe schedule. The lifetime calendar graphically displays the data inputinto the caption field as a summary of the schedule.

When nothing is input into the caption field for the schedule, thecontroller portion 12 graphically displays on the lifetime calendar acharacter string of, for example, 10 characters from the top of acharacter string input into a field for the content (content field) ofthe schedule. The “schedule summary/content” shown in FIG. 3 refer tothe above described.

The alarm icon is an icon formed from an image of, for example, a bell,as a motif. The data indicative of the alarm ON/OFF setting is dataindicative of whether the alarm setting is specified for the schedule.When the alarm setting is specified for the schedule, the lifetimecalendar displays the word “ON” to be adjacent the alarm icon formedfrom the bell image. Otherwise, when the alarm setting is not specifiedfor the schedule, the lifetime calendar displays the word “OFF” to beadjacent the alarm icon formed from the bell image.

The holiday setting data is data indicative of a holiday specified bythe user for the scheduler. For example, when the user personally isscheduled to have a day off on a date corresponding to a generalweekday, the date corresponding to the day off can be stored by the useron the scheduler as a holiday. The controller portion 12 determines fromthe scheduler whether a holiday setting is specified for a displayeddate on the lifetime calendar. If a holiday setting is specified for thedisplayed date, then the controller portion 12 performs a process ofaltering the display mode, such as a process of altering a display colorof a corresponding date field, for the displayed date, and displays theresult on the lifetime calendar.

When, for example, graphical display of a schedule is specified on thelifetime calendar, the controller portion 12 activates the schedulermanagement program stored in the memory 11 thereby to graphicallydisplay the content or the like of the specified schedule.

Suppose that, for registration of a schedule into the scheduler, thefunctional arrangement allows inputting a “location” such as a“company,” “school,” or “house” where an event of the schedule takesplace. In this case, the functional arrangement can be such that thecontroller portion 12 reads from the scheduler the location where theevent of the schedule takes place, and graphically displays the locationon the lifetime calendar.

(Metadata for Birthday Contents)

For a “birthday content,” items of metadata for birthdate data, username, file type icon (birthday icon), frame image (image-frame image),and thumbnail image are handled on the lifetime calendar.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, the telephone directoryincludes registration fields for not only user names of users, telephonenumbers, and e-mail addresses, but also still images taken of the users,frame images (or, image frames), and birthdates.

Further, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, registrationfields for private information of the user or user of the mobile phoneare provided separately from the telephone directory described above.The private information includes, for example, a still image, frameimage (image frame), address, e-mail address, mobile phone number, andbirthdate.

In accordance with the telephone directory or respective items ofinformation stored in the private information registration fields, abirthday icon, still image, and user name are displayed in therespective corresponding display field on the lifetime calendar. Thebirthday icon is an icon of, for example, a cake image, frame image(image frame of, for example, a flower image(s)) (which, alternately,can be a frame image selected by the owner or user of the mobile phonefrom a plurality of frame images). The still image is a still image ofthe face or the like of a user whose birthday corresponds to thedisplayed date or still image of the face or the like of the user of themobile phone. The user name is a user name of a user whose birthdaycorresponds to the displayed date or user name of the user of the mobilephone. These items are displayed on a display field for a datecorresponding to the birthday of the user registered in the telephonedirectory or a display field for a date corresponding to the birthday ofthe user of the mobile phone stored in the private informationregistration fields.

When the “birthday content” is selected on the lifetime calendar, thecontroller portion 12 activates an application program corresponding tothe telephone directory, thereby to perform display control of theprivate information registration fields for the user corresponding tothe “birthday content.” Alternatively, the controller portion 12activates an application program for displaying the private informationof the user of the mobile phone, thereby to perform display control ofthe private information registration fields for the user of the mobilephone which fields correspond to the “birthday contents.”

(Details on Setting of Lifetime Calendar)

Items such as the presence or absence of a display of the respectivecontent being handled on the lifetime calendar and the time until thecontent is graphically displayed are specifiable on a setting screen forthe lifetime calendar. For setting the items, the user operates theoperation portion 6 and thereby causes an overall setting menu to bedisplayed on the display portion 5. Then, the user selects a settingmenu for the lifetime calendar from the overall setting menu. Inresponse to the operation, a lifetime calendar setup screen (“LTC SetupScreen”) shown in FIG. 4A is displayed on the display portion 5.

The LTC Setup Screen displays setting menus entitled “Display Setting,”“Filter Setting,” and “Remembrance Display Time.” In response to anup-down operation of the cross key 24 (shown in FIG. 2A) by a user, thecontroller portion 12 performs moving and displaying control of thefocus to be moved and displayed among the “Display Setting,” “FilterSetting,” and “Remembrance Display Time” setting menus among or acrossthe “Display Setting,” “Filter Setting,” and “Remembrance Display Time”setting menus.

When the focus is positioned on the respective setup menu through themoving and displaying control, an explanatory text regarding thefocus-positioned setting menu is graphically displayed. Morespecifically, FIG. 4A shows an example in which the focus is set on the“Filter Setting” setting menu. In this case, an explanatory text, suchas saying “A received mail from an address unstored in the telephonedirectory is held non-displayed,” is graphically displayed in a marginalarea of the display portion 5. Thus, explanatory texts offocus-positioned setting menu items are displayed. Thereby, the user isenabled to recognize the set contents of a currently focus-positionedsetting menu and is enabled to easily select a user-desired settingmenu.

Then, through an up-down operation of the cross key 24, the user movesthe focus to desired one of the “Display Setting,” “Filter Setting,” and“Remembrance Display Time” setting menus, and then depresses the enterkey 25.

(Display Setting)

“Display Setting” will be described hereinbelow. In the state of thefocus being positioned on the “Display Setting” setting menu, when theenter key 25 is depressed, a display screen displaying the “DisplaySetting” setting menu as shown in FIG. 4B is displayed. The “DisplaySetting” setting menu is used to set whether to graphically display astill image content, received e-mail content, transmitted e-mailcontent, schedule content, and birthday content on the lifetimecalendar.

More specifically, the controller portion 12 operates to displayrespective setting menu items corresponding to the still image content,received e-mail content, transmitted e-mail content, schedule content,and birthday content, as setting menu items of “Display Setting” settingmenu.

Of those setting menu items, the “still image content” setting menu is amenu for specifying, for example, the presence or absence of thegraphical display of a still image and for specifying a folder thatcontains still images for graphical display.

When not restricting a still image for graphical display on the lifetimecalendar, the user selects “All Display” from a pull-down menu of “AllDisplay,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “All Display” isselected, a still image for graphical display on the lifetime calendaris selected from all still images stored in the mobile phone, and isgraphically displayed.

When not graphically displaying the still image on the lifetimecalendar, the user selects “Non-display” from the pull-down menu of “AllDisplay,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “Non-display” isselected, the controller portion 12 excludes the all still images storedin the mobile phone from graphical display targets for graphical displayon the lifetime calendar. As such, when “Non-display” is selected, nostill image (stored in the mobile phone) is graphically displayed on thelifetime calendar.

When specifying a folder containing still images for display on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “Specified Display” from thepull-down menu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.”When “Specified Display” is selected, a selection field of “FolderSpecification” is highest-tone displayed. More specifically, when either“All Display” or “Non-display” is selected from the pull-down menu, theselection field of “Folder Specification” is half-tone displayed (graydisplayed), thereby displaying to the user that the selection field of“Folder Specification” is non-active. When “Specified Display” isselected, however, the selection field of “Folder Specification” ishighest-tone displayed, thereby displaying to the user that theselection field of “Folder Specification” is active.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, the user can classify,for example, still images by, for example, capture time or title, andcan store the classified still images into a plurality of still imagefolders formed in the memory 11. Still images in this case may be, forexample, still images captured or acquired by the camera portion 8,still images downloaded across a network or the like, and still imagesattached to transmitted and received mail pieces. Having shifted theselection field of the “Folder Specification” to be active, the userspecifies a desired one of folders. When the specification is made (orin response to the specification), the controller portion 12 graphicallydisplays on the lifetime calendar only a still image(s) stored in thefolder specified by the user.

The “received e-mail content” setting menu item will now be describedhereinbelow. The “received e-mail content” setting menu item is used toset, for example, the presence or absence of a graphical display of areceived e-mail piece on the lifetime calendar, a folder containingreceived e-mail pieces for graphical display, e-mail addresses, andtypes of the received e-mail contents.

When all received e-mail pieces can be graphically displayed on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “All Display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “AllDisplay” is selected, a received e-mail piece for graphical display onthe lifetime calendar is selected from all received e-mail pieces storedin the mobile phone, and is graphically displayed thereon.

When not graphically displaying the received e-mail piece on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “Non-display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When“Non-display” is selected, the controller portion 12 excludes the allreceived e-mail contents stored in the mobile phone from graphicaldisplay targets for graphical display on the lifetime calendar. As such,when “Non-display” is selected, no received e-mail content isgraphically displayed on the lifetime calendar.

Alternately, for graphically displaying only a specified received e-mailcontent on the lifetime calendar, the user selects “Specified Display”from the pull-down menu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and“Non-display.” When “Specified Display” is selected, highest-tonedisplay is performed to display respective selection fields of “FolderSpecification,” “Mail Address Specification,” and “ProtectionSpecification.”

More specifically, in the event that either “All Display” or“Non-display” is selected from the pull-down menu, the respectiveselection fields of “Folder Specification,” “Mail AddressSpecification,” and “Protection Specification” are half-tone displayed(gray displayed), thereby displaying to the user that the respectiveselection fields are non-active. When “Specified Display” is selected,however, the respective selection fields of “Folder Specification,”“Mail Address Specification,” and “Protection Specification” arehighest-tone displayed, thereby displaying to the user that therespective selection fields have become active.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, a plurality of receivede-mail folders can be formed in the memory 11. Thereby, the user isenabled to classify received e-mail contents by classifying the contentsby, for example, respective receive times and transmitted users of thereceived e-mail contents and to store the classified received e-mailcontents into corresponding folders. As such, when specifying “FolderSpecification” field, the user specifies a desired one of the folderscontaining classified received e-mail pieces. Alternatively, whenreceived e-mail pieces stored in all the folders can be displayed, theuser enters a specification for all the folders. In response to thespecification, the controller portion 12 graphically displays on thelifetime calendar only a received e-mail piece(s) stored in thespecified folder.

When specifying “Mail Address Specification,” the user specifies ane-mail address of a user or sender of a received e-mail piece. E-mailaddress specification is carried out by specifying a desired user(=desired e-mail address) from the telephone directory, transmissionranking (ranking sequentially indicative of users in order of relativelylarger numbers of transmission times for the users), and receptionranking (ranking sequentially indicative of users in order of relativelylarger numbers of reception times from the users). The e-mail addressspecification can be carried out in the manner that the user directlyinput the address through operation of the operation portion 6. Inresponse to the e-mail address specification, the controller portion 12graphically displays on the lifetime calendar only the received e-mailpiece having the e-mail address specified by the user.

Further, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, “ProtectionSetting” for preventing inadvertent erasure or mis-erasure of a desiredone of received e-mail pieces. As such, of the all received e-mailpieces stored in the mobile phone, only a received e-mail piecespecified to “Protection Setting” (i.e., only a protection-set receivede-mail piece) can be graphically displayed as a received e-mail contenton the lifetime calendar.

More specifically, “All Display” and “Protected Mail Only” selectionoptions are provided for a selection field of “ProtectionSpecification.” When all received e-mail pieces stored in the mobilephone can be graphically displayed, the user selects the “All Display”menu item. When the selection is made, received e-mail contents aregraphically displayed on the lifetime calendar, regardless of whetherthe protection setting is specified for the received e-mail pieces(i.e., whether the received e-mail pieces are protection-set receivede-mail pieces). Alternately, for graphically displaying only aprotection-set one of the all received e-mail pieces on the lifetimecalendar, the user selects the “Protected Mail Only” selection option.In response to the selection, the controller portion 12 graphicallydisplays only the protection-set e-mail piece on the lifetime calendar.

As described above, according to the mobile phone of the presentembodiment, a received e-mail content for graphical display on thelifetime calendar is specifiable with the display condition for, thefolder containing the content, the presence or absence of the protectionsetting, and the like conditions. When a plurality of such displayconditions are set by the user, the controller portion 12 graphicallydisplays on the lifetime calendar only a received e-mail contentsatisfying all the display conditions.

The “transmitted e-mail content” setting menu item will now be describedhereinbelow. The “transmitted e-mail content” setting menu item is usedto set, for example, the presence or absence of a graphical display of atransmitted e-mail piece on the lifetime calendar, a folder containingtransmitted e-mail pieces for graphical display, e-mail addresses, andtypes of the transmitted e-mail contents.

When not restricting a transmitted e-mail piece for graphical display onthe lifetime calendar, the user selects “All Display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “AllDisplay” is selected, a transmitted e-mail piece for graphical displayon the lifetime calendar is selected from all transmitted e-mail piecesstored in the mobile phone, and is graphically displayed thereon.

Alternately, when not graphically displaying the transmitted e-mailpiece on the lifetime calendar, the user selects “Non-display” from thepull-down menu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.”When “Non-display” is selected, the controller portion 12 excludes theall transmitted e-mail contents stored in the mobile phone fromgraphical display targets for graphical display on the lifetimecalendar. As such, when “Non-display” is selected, no transmitted e-mailcontent is graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar.

Alternately, for graphically displaying only a specified transmittede-mail content on the lifetime calendar, the user selects “SpecifiedDisplay” from the pull-down menu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,”and “Non-display.” When “Specified Display” is selected, highest-tonedisplay is performed to display respective selection fields of “FolderSpecification,” “Mail Address Specification,” and “ProtectionSpecification,” thereby displaying to the user that the respectiveselection fields have become active.

Similarly as in the previous case described above, a plurality oftransmitted e-mail folders can be formed in the memory 11. Thereby, theuser is enabled to classify transmitted e-mail contents by classifyingthe contents by, for example, respective transmission times of thetransmitted e-mail contents and respective users corresponding totransmission addressees (recipients) of the transmitted e-mail piecesand to store the classified transmitted e-mail contents intocorresponding folders. As such, when specifying “Folder Specification”field, the user specifies a desired one of the folders containingclassified transmitted e-mail pieces. Alternatively, when transmittede-mail pieces stored in all the folders can be graphically displayed,the user enters a specification for all the folders. In response to thespecification, the controller portion 12 graphically displays on thelifetime calendar only a transmitted e-mail piece(s) stored in thespecified folder.

When specifying “Mail Address Specification,” the user specifies ane-mail address of a user, i.e., addressee address of a transmittede-mail piece. E-mail address specification is carried out by specifyinga desired user (=desired e-mail address) from the telephone directory,transmission ranking (ranking sequentially indicative of users in orderof relatively larger numbers of transmission times for the users), andreception ranking (ranking sequentially indicative of users in order ofrelatively larger numbers of reception times from the users).

The e-mail address specification can be carried out in the manner thatthe user directly input the address through operation of the operationportion 6. In response to the e-mail address specification, thecontroller portion 12 graphically displays on the lifetime calendar onlythe transmitted e-mail piece having the e-mail address specified by theuser.

Further, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, “ProtectionSetting” for preventing inadvertent erasure or mis-erasure of a desiredone of transmitted e-mail pieces. As such, of the all transmitted e-mailpieces stored in the mobile phone, only a transmitted e-mail piecespecified to “Protection Setting” (i.e., only a protection-settransmitted e-mail piece) can be graphically displayed as a transmittede-mail piece on the lifetime calendar.

More specifically, “All Display” and “Protected Mail Only” selectionoptions are provided for the selection field of “ProtectionSpecification.” When the all transmitted e-mail contents stored in themobile phone can be graphically displayed, the user selects the “AllDisplay” menu item. When the selection is made, transmitted e-mailcontents are graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar, regardlessof whether the transmitted e-mail pieces are protection-set transmittede-mail pieces.

Alternately, for graphically displaying only a protection-set one of theall transmitted e-mail pieces on the lifetime calendar, the user selectsthe “Protected Mail Only” selection option. In response to theselection, only the protection-set e-mail content is graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar.

As described above, according to the mobile phone of the presentembodiment, a transmitted e-mail content for graphical display on thelifetime calendar is specifiable with the display condition for, thefolder containing the content, the presence or absence of the protectionsetting, or the like conditions. When a plurality of such displayconditions are set by the user, only a transmitted e-mail contentsatisfying all the display conditions is graphically displayed on thelifetime calendar.

The “schedule content” setting menu item will now be describedhereinbelow. The “schedule content” setting menu item is used to set,for example, the presence or absence of a graphical display of aschedule on the lifetime calendar and classification of schedule(s) forgraphical display.

When all schedules for graphical display on the lifetime calendar can begraphically displayed, the user selects “All Display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “AllDisplay” is selected, a schedule for graphical display on the lifetimecalendar is selected from all schedules stored in the scheduler of themobile phone, and is graphically displayed thereon.

Alternately, when not graphically displaying the schedule on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “Non-display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When“Non-display” is selected, the controller portion 12 excludes the allschedules stored in the scheduler of the mobile phone from graphicaldisplay targets for graphical display on the lifetime calendar. As such,when “Non-display” is selected, no schedule is graphically displayed onthe lifetime calendar.

Alternately, when specifying the classification of a schedule on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “Specified Display” from thepull-down menu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.”When “Specified Display” is selected, highest-tone display is performedto display the selection field of “Classification Selection,” therebydisplaying to the user that the field has become active.

In the mobile phone, in the event of schedule registration, theclassification of a schedule of a company, school, meal, drive, sports,or the like event is set. As such, when using “ClassificationSelection,” the user specifies a desired classification of a schedule.In response to the specification, the controller portion 12 graphicallydisplays on the lifetime calendar only the user-specified classified one(schedule) of the all schedules stored in the scheduler.

The “birthday content” setting menu item will now be describedhereinbelow. The “birthday content” setting menu item is used to setwhether to graphically display a “birthday content” on the lifetimecalendar. When permitting graphical display on the lifetime calendar,birthday contents corresponding to all users stored in the telephonedirectory and the birthday content stored in the registration field ofprivate information, the user selects “All Display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When “AllDisplay” is selected, the controller portion 12 recognizes displays theall users' birthday contents stored in the telephone directory and thebirthday content stored in the registration field of private informationcorresponding to the information on the user of the mobile phone, asgraphical display targets for graphical display on the lifetimecalendar.

Alternately, when not graphically displaying the schedule on thelifetime calendar, the user selects “Non-display” from the pull-downmenu of “All Display,” “Specified Display,” and “Non-display.” When“Non-display” is selected, the controller portion 12 excludes the allbirthday contents corresponding to users and the birthday content storedin the registration field of private information from graphical displaytargets for graphical display on the lifetime calendar. As such, when“Non-display” is selected, no birthday content is graphically displayedon the lifetime calendar.

(Filter Setting)

“Filter Setting” will now be described hereinbelow. In the state of thefocus being positioned on the “Filter Setting” setting menu shown inFIG. 4A, upon detection of an operation of depression of the enter key25, the controller portion 12 causes a pull-down menu of “ON” and OFF”to be active. The “Filter Setting” setting menu is used to set whetherto graphical display on the lifetime calendar a received e-mail piece(content) having an e-mail address unstored in the telephone directory.

When not graphically displaying on the lifetime calendar the receivede-mail content having an e-mail address unstored in the telephonedirectory, the user selects “OFF” from the pull-down menu of “ON” andOFF.” When “OFF” is selected, the controller portion 12 excludes thereceived e-mail content having an e-mail address unstored in thetelephone directory from a graphical display target for graphicaldisplay on the lifetime calendar. As such, in this case, the receivede-mail content having an e-mail address unstored in the telephonedirectory is not graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar.

Alternately, when the received e-mail content having an e-mail addressunstored in the telephone directory can be displayed on the lifetimecalendar, the user selects “ON” from the pull-down menu of “ON” andOFF.” When “ON” is selected, the received e-mail content is graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar, regardless of the presence orabsence of the e-mail address registration.

Thus, with “Filter Setting,” the option is set for displaying a receivede-mail content having an e-mail address unstored in the telephonedirectory. A similar arrangement can be made such that an option can besettable for graphically displaying a transmitted e-mail content havingan e-mail address unstored in the telephone directory.

(Remembrance Display Time)

The “Remembrance Display Time” setting menu will now be describedhereinbelow. Although described in more detail below, the mobile phoneof the present embodiment has the remembrance popup function thatprovides popup display of various types of contents corresponding to,for example, a date one-year previous to a focus-positioned date, on thelifetime calendar. The “Remembrance Display Time” setting menu is asetting menu to setting whether to execute remembrance popup display,such as described above, and to set the time until execution of theremembrance popup display.

In the state of the focus being positioned on the “Remembrance DisplayTime” setting menu shown in FIG. 4A, upon detection of an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25, the controller portion 12 controls thepull-down menu of “Non-display,” “Fast,” “Normal,” and “Slow” to beactive. When not executing the remembrance popup display, the userselects “Non-display” and then depresses the enter key 25. When“Non-display” is selected, the controller portion 12 operates to notexecute the remembrance popup display on the lifetime calendar.

The respective one of the “Fast,” “Normal,” and “Slow” pull-down menuitems is used to set the time until the execution of the remembrancepopup display. More specifically, in the mobile phone, when the focus ispositioned on any one any date on the lifetime calendar for apredetermined time or longer (or, when non-operation time is apredetermined time or longer), the remembrance popup display isperformed to present the popup display of a content(s) corresponding toa past date with respect to the focus-positioned date.

The respective one of the “Fast,” “Normal,” and “Slow” pull-down menuitems allows setting of the time until the execution of the remembrancepopup display. The user selects desired one of the “Fast,” “Normal,” and“Slow” pull-down menu items.

When the “First” menu item is selected, the remembrance popup display isexecuted after, for example, “5 seconds” has elapsed since terminationof user operation. Alternately, when the “Normal” menu item is selected,the remembrance popup display is executed after, for example, “7.5seconds” has elapsed since termination of user operation. Alternately,when the “Slow” menu item is selected, the remembrance popup display isexecuted after, for example, “10 seconds” has elapsed since thetermination of user operation. Thus, by selection of the desired one ofthe “Fast,” “Normal,” and “Slow” pull-down menu items during display ofthe lifetime calendar, the user is able to set the time until theexecution of the remembrance popup display after the operation state hasentered the non-operation state to a desired time.

(Display Operation of Lifetime Calendar)

Display operation of and for the lifetime calendar will now be describedhereinbelow. To facilitate ease of understanding, descriptionhereinbelow will be given contemplating that, except for motion imagecontents and music contents, still image contents, schedule contents,birthday contents, transmitted e-mail contents, and received e-mailcontents are graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar.

When desiring to display the lifetime calendar, the user operates theoperation portion 6 to select an item of activation of the lifetimecalendar from the main menu. When the selection is made, the“calendar-view” lifetime calendar shown in FIG. 5 is displayed as adefault display on the display portion 5 in accordance with the lifetimecalendar application program.

(Calendar View)

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the flow of display control operationof the controller portion 12 to display the calendar-view lifetimecalendar. In the flow diagram, the controller portion 12 detects anactivation specification operation, which has been performed by the userthrough the operation of the operation portion 6, thereby to start thedisplay control operation in accordance with the lifetime calendarapplication program stored in the memory 11.

At step S1, the controller portion 12 extracts information of timeindicative of a present date measured by the timer 10, and then theprocess proceeds to step S2. At step S2, the controller portion 12 readssettings specified in “Display Setting” and settings specified in“Filter Setting” (respectively, “display settings” and “filtersettings,” herebelow) stored in the memory 11, as described by referenceto FIGS. 4A and 4B. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.

At step S3, the controller portion 12 detects from the memory 11 acontent(s) corresponding to the present date extracted from the timer 10from among contents permitted to be graphically displayed on thelifetime calendar in accordance with the display and filter settingsread from the memory 11.

More specifically, a case is now assumed in which, for example, thedisplay and filter settings permit still image contents, schedulecontents, birthday contents, transmitted e-mail contents, and receivede-mail contents to be graphically displayed, and the present dateextracted from the timer 10 is Sep. 13, 2005. In this case, thecontroller portion 12 detects from the memory 11 still image contentshaving information of time or storage information corresponding toSeptember 2005, received e-mail contents corresponding to September2005, transmitted e-mail contents corresponding to September 2005,schedule contents corresponding to September 2005, and birthday contentscorresponding to users each having a birthmonth of September 2005.

Similarly, another case is now assumed that, for example, the displayand filter settings permit only still image contents and birthdaycontents to be graphically displayed, and the present date extractedfrom the timer 10 is Oct. 1, 2006. In this case, the controller portion12 detects from the memory 11 still image contents having information oftime or storage information corresponding October 2006 and birthdaycontents corresponding to users each having a birthmonth of October2006.

Subsequently, at step S4, the calendar-view lifetime calendar isdisplayed on the display portion 5, thereby graphically displaying therespective types of contents on the calendar-view lifetime calendar.Then, at step S5, a display area on a current or operation date (displayarea corresponding to the date of activation of the lifetime calendar)is enlarged to be larger than other display areas, and the focus ispositioned on the enlarged display area. Then, the process in accordancewith the flow diagram shown in FIG. 6 terminates.

FIG. 5 is a display example of the calendar-view lifetime calendardisplayed as a result of the process in accordance with the flow diagramof FIG. 6. The display example of FIG. 5 is the calendar-view lifetimecalendar of September 2005, in which the focus-positioned datecorresponds to Wednesday, Sep. 13, 2005.

As seen from FIG. 5, relevant components are graphically displayed.Above the calendar-view lifetime calendar, there is displayed a datesuch as “Sep. 13, 2005” corresponding to the display field for thefocus-positioned date. Beside the date, there are displayed variousicons that represent the respective types of contents permitted by theuser to be graphically displayed (i.e., various icons indicative of thepresent set state are displayed). In addition, a month index indicativeof a presently displayed display month is displayed along the left-endlongitudinal (long side) direction of the display area. In the presentexample, since the display month is September, the month index with thedisplay of number “09” is displayed. The controller portion 12 controlsthe display field for the date corresponding to the current or operationdate to be displayed in a color (display color) different from thedisplay color for other dates, thereby making it easy for the user torecognize the current or operation date.

The various icons (i.e., various icons displayed adjacent the headingdate) indicative of the set states, which are shown in FIG. 5, includethe following icons. An image of a cake with candles (standing thereon)is an icon indicative of a birthday content. An image of a calendar andpencil is an icon indicative of a schedule content. A sealed letterimage with an up-pointing arrow is an icon indicative of a transmittede-mail content. A sealed letter image with a down-pointing arrow is anicon indicative of an e-mail content. An image having a rectangularshape with an upper right portion inwardly folded is an icon indicativeof a still image content. Of the various icons, color display isperformed to display an icon indicative of or representing a contentpermitted by the user to be graphically displayed. On the other hand, anicon representing a content not permitted by the user to be graphicallydisplayed is gray-displayed (or, half-tone displayed) as a gray image.The difference in display enables the user to quickly (or at one glance)recognize the type of content permitted to be graphically displayed onthe lifetime calendar.

In addition, icons representing contents detected in step S3 and/orthumbnail images of still image contents are displayed in display fieldsfor respective dates on the calendar-view lifetime calendar.

A case can take place in which a plurality of still image contents forgraphical display in a display field for a same date are present. Inthis case, the controller portion 12 selects one of the plurality ofstill image contents by using a random number, and displays a thumbnailimage of the selected still image content in the display field for thecorresponding date. Such a thumbnail image selected and displayed isupdated at a predetermined timing by using the “rating function”described further below.

Further, the controller portion 12 enlarges a display field forWednesday, Sep. 13, 2005, which corresponds to a focus-positioned datein the present case, to be larger than display fields for other dates.Thereby, the icon representing the respective content and/or thethumbnail image of the respective still image content is displayed inthe enlarged display field.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, only a letter-image icon is displayed inthe display field for Friday, September 1st, thereby indicating thepresence of a transmitted or received e-mail content. In addition, aletter-image icon and a birthday content icon are displayed in thedisplay field for Sunday, September 3rd. Thereby, the lifetime calendarindicates that a transmitted or received e-mail content and schedulecontent are present on Sunday, September 3rd, and Sunday, and the dateis a birthday of either a user or the user of the mobile phone (of theembodiment). In addition, a letter-image icon, schedule content icon,and still image content thumbnail image are displayed in the displayfield for Monday, September 4th. The lifetime calendar thereby indicatesthe presence of a transmitted or received e-mail content, schedulecontent, and still image content on Monday, September 4th.

The display field for Wednesday, September 13th, which corresponds to afocus-positioned date in the present example, is displayed to be largerthan other display fields, and a letter-image icon, schedule contenticon, birthday content icon, and still image content thumbnail image aredisplayed in the enlarged display field. The lifetime calendar therebyindicates that a transmitted or received e-mail content and a schedulecontent is present on Wednesday, September 13th, and the date is abirthday of either a user or the user of the mobile phone (of theembodiment).

Further, for graphically displaying a thumbnail image content of a stillimage content in the enlarged display field, the display portion 5displays the image enlarged to be larger than thumbnail images fordisplay on display fields for other dates. This manner of displayenables the user to easily recognize the still image contentcorresponding to the focus-positioned date. In this case, the displayportion 5 graphically displays the respective icon, excepting thethumbnail image, both in the enlarged display field and display fieldsfor other dates in the same size.

Thus, in the event of display of the calendar-view lifetime calendar, arespective content icon and/or still image content thumbnail image isdisplayed in a respective date display field. Consequently, the user isable to quickly recognize the presence of the respective contentcorresponding to the respective date from a respective icon and/orthumbnail image displayed on the lifetime calendar.

Depending on the date, there can be a case in which no contents arepresent. In such a case, since neither icons nor thumbnail images fordisplay are present, the corresponding date display field is inevitablykept blank. In the example of FIG. 5, Saturday, September 9thcorresponds to such a date on which no contents are present. In such acase also, the user can quickly recognize the absence of contents on adate by seeing the display field for the date.

In addition, as described above, in the event of display of thecalendar-view lifetime calendar, received and transmitted e-mailcontents are present as e-mail contents. However, a case can take placein which any one of the received and transmitted e-mail contents ispresent. In this case, the letter-image icon is displayed to display thepresence of received and/or transmitted e-mail contents to the user.

In an other expression, when the calendar-view lifetime calendar isdisplayed, the received and/or transmitted e-mail contents are displayedthereon, thereby displaying the presence of the content in thesimplified form. As described further below, in the event of display ofthe day-view lifetime calendar, the icon formed of the image with theupward arrow is displayed to thereby display the presence of atransmitted e-mail content to the user. Similarly, the icon formed ofthe image with the down-pointing arrow is displayed to thereby displaythe presence of a received e-mail content to the user.

More specifically, in the event of display of the calendar-view lifetimecalendar, the respective date display field is narrow. As such, theletter-image icon is displayed to collectively indicate the presence ofreceived and/or transmitted e-mail contents to the user. However, inevent of display of the day-view lifetime calendar in which therespective date display field is wide, the received and transmittede-mail contents are displayed separately from one another.

(Operation of Moving Focus)

Operation of moving the focus will be described herebelow. The focus ismovable by the user onto a desired date display field through operationof the operation portion 6. More specifically, in the example shown inFIG. 5, the controller portion 12 positions the focus on September 13thas a default. In this state, when the cross key 24 of the operationportion 6 is right-operated, the controller portion 12 performs movementand display control (or, “focus movement and display control,”hereinafter) for the focus to move and appear over the dates in theorder: 13th→14th→15th→16th→17th . . . . Alternately, in the same stateof the focus (i.e., the focus is positioned on September 13th), when thecross key 24 of the operation portion 6 is left-operated, the controllerportion 12 performs the movement and display control for the focus tomove and appear over the dates in the order: 13th→12th→11th→10th→9th . .. . Alternately, in the same state of the focus as above, when the crosskey 24 of the operation portion 6 is up-operated (or, an up-key of thecross key 24 is operated), the controller portion 12 controls the focusto move and appear over the dates in the order: 13th→6th→August 30th . .. . Alternately, in the same state of the focus as above, when the crosskey 24 of the operation portion 6 is down-operated (or, a down-key ofthe cross key 24 is operated), the controller portion 12 performs themovement and display control for the focus to move and appear over thedates in the order: 13th→20th→27th→October 4th . . . .

Thus, every time the cross key 24 is depressed, the controller portion12 intermittently performs moving and appearing control of the focus,such as described above. Further, when the cross key 24 is keptdepressed (i.e., the cross key 24 is “pressed and held down”), thecontroller portion 12 continually performs the movement and displaycontrol for the focus during the time the cross key 24 is “held down.”Then, through the movement and display control for the focus, thecontroller portion 12 sequentially detects from the memory 11 contentscorresponding to the dates for display on the display portion 5, andcontrols corresponding icons and/or thumbnail images for display on thedisplay portion 5. Thereby, the lifetime calendars of the respectivemonths are displayed on the display portion 5 in a scroll manner inresponse to moving operations of the focus.

(Changing Display Screen on Per-Month Basis or Per-Year Basis)

As described above, the focus being displayed on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar is movable on the per-date basis through the useroperation of the cross key 24. However, a case can take place in whichcontents for graphical display on the lifetime calendar are desired togreatly change or shift on a per-month or per-year basis.

In such a case, the user performs an operation of depression of thesecond soft key 27 shown in FIG. 2A. When having detected an operationof depression of the second soft key 27 on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar being displayed on the display portion 5, the display portion 5displays an index screen of the calendar-view lifetime calendar shown inFIG. 7.

As can be known through comparison between FIGS. 5 and 7, upon detectionof the operation of depression of the second soft key 27, “monthindexes” (briefly described above) of the respective months aredisplayed in a zone of the screen along the left-end longitudinaldirection of the calendar-view lifetime calendar. Concurrently, in azone along the left end of the zone of the month indexes (or, “monthindex zone,” herebelow), there are displayed a “year index” indicativeof a year to which the zone of the month indexes currently displayed onthe display portion 5.

Further, the focus is positioned on the display field for a month on themonth indexes to which a focus-positioned date belongs at the time theoperator operation of the second soft key 27. FIG. 7 is a displayexample in the case where the focus is positioned on any one of thedates in September 2005 at the time the operator operation of the secondsoft key 27. In this case, the focus is positioned on the display fieldfor September on the month index zone.

The focus is movable on the per-month basis on the month index zone, andthe focus is movable on the per-year basis on the zone of year indexes(or, “year index zone,” herebelow). More specifically, when moving thefocus on the per-month basis on the month index zone, the user performsan up- or down-operation of the cross key 24 in the state where thefocus is positioned on a display field for any of the months on themonth index zone. In the state of, as shown in FIG. 7, the focuspositioned on September, when having detected the up-operation of thecross key 24, the controller portion 12 performs the movement anddisplay control for the focus to appear on the month index zone in theorder: September→August→July→June . . . . Alternately, in the samestate, when having detected the down-operation of the cross key 24, thecontroller portion 12 performs the movement and display control for thefocus to appear on the month index zone in the order:September→October→November→December . . . .

In addition, in the course of movement and display control for the monthto be focus-positioned on the month index zone, the controller portion12 detects from the memory 11 a content corresponding to afocus-positioned month. Then, the display portion 5 displays the iconand/or thumbnail image corresponding to the content on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar corresponding to the focus-positioned month (month towhich the focus has been moved). Thereby, icons and/or thumbnail imagesfor display on the calendar-view lifetime calendar are changed anddisplayed on the per-month basis.

In the present example described above, the controller portion 12changes contents for graphical display on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar on the per-month basis along with the focus movement on themonth index zone. Alternatively, however, the arrangement of operationcan be such that changing of graphical display of contents on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar is not carried out during the movingoperation of the focus on the per-month basis, but is carried out at atiming awaiting an operation of depression of the enter key 25. That is,the contents corresponding to the focus-positioned month are graphicallydisplayed on the calendar-view lifetime calendar in response to theoperation of depression of the enter key 25.

More specifically, according to the alternative manner described above,the user performs an operation of moving the focus to a desired month onthe month index zone (during which the changing of graphical display ofcontents is not performed), and carries out the operation of depressionof the enter key 25 upon movement of the focus to the desired month.Thereby, the controller portion 12 recognizes that the display of thecontents corresponding to the currently focus-positioned month isspecified by the user. Then, the controller portion 12 detects contentscorresponding to the focus-positioned month from the memory 11, returnsthe display screen from the index screen in the calendar view shown inFIG. 7 to the normal screen shown in FIG. 5, and displays icons and/orthumbnail images corresponding to the contents on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar. In this case, the controller portion 12 graphicallydisplays the contents on the calendar-view lifetime calendar at thetiming awaiting the operation of depression of the enter key 25. Assuch, the burden on the controller portion 12 can be reduced by theamount corresponding to changing of graphical display of contents whichchanging does not have to be performed in units of the moving operationfor the focus.

Further, during the time the focus is positioned on any one of themonths on the month index zone, the display control can be performed tochange the display mode to the mode, in which, for example, therespective display field for the date (display field for correspondingicons and/or thumbnail images) is displayed in the half tone. Thisenables the user to easily recognize the active state of the monthindex.

The following describes another example case in which moving operationfor the focus is performed on the per-year basis. In the state of thefocus positioned on any one of the month display fields on the monthindex zone, the user performs a left-operation of the cross key 24. Upondetection of the left-operation in the above-described state (where thefocus is positioned on any one of the month display fields on the monthindex zone), the controller portion 12 controls the focus to bepositioned on a display field for a year on the year index zone to whichthe focus-positioned month belongs. Thereby, display-screen changing canbe implemented on the per-year basis.

More specifically, in the state of, as shown in FIG. 7, the focuspositioned on the year index, when having detected the up-operation ofthe cross key 24, the controller portion 12 performs the movement anddisplay control for the focus on the year index zone in the order:2005→2004→2003 . . . . Alternately, in the same state, when havingdetected the down-operation of the cross key 24, the controller portion12 performs the movement and display control for the focus on the yearindex zone in the order: 2005→2006→2007 . . . .

In event that the focus movement and display control being thusperformed on the per-year basis, the controller portion 12 detects fromthe memory 11 respective types of contents in the focus-moved year whichcontents corresponds to the focus-positioned month on the month indexzone immediately before movement of the focus from the month index tothe year index. Then, the lifetime calendar displays icons and/orthumbnail images corresponding to the contents.

More specifically, in the state of the focus positioned on, for example,September on the month index zone, when the focus is moved to thedisplay field for the year 2005 on the year index zone, various contentscorresponding to September 2005 are detected from the memory 11. Then,icons and/or thumbnail images corresponding to the detected contents aredisplayed on the calendar-view lifetime calendar.

Similarly, under the display control of the controller portion 12, inthe state of the focus positioned on, for example, July on the monthindex zone, when the focus is moved to the display field for the year2004 on the year index zone, various contents corresponding to July 2004are detected from the memory 11. Then, icons and/or thumbnail imagescorresponding to the detected contents are displayed on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar. When the focus, which was moved to thedisplay field for the year 2004, has then been moved to the displayfield for the year 2003 on the year index zone, various contentscorresponding to July 2003 are detected from the memory 11. Then, iconsand/or thumbnail images corresponding to the detected contents aredisplayed on the calendar-view lifetime calendar. Thereby, icons and/orthumbnail images for display on the calendar-view lifetime calendar arechanged and displayed on the per-year basis.

In the present example described above, the controller portion 12changes contents for graphical display on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar on the per-year basis along with the focus movement on the yearindex zone. Alternatively, however, the manner of operation can be suchthat changing of graphical display of contents on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar is not carried out during the moving operation of thefocus, but is carried out as described herebelow.

Under the display control of the controller portion 12, the focus ispositioned on the month index zone with the timing of detection of theoperation of depression of the enter key 25 in the state of the focuspositioned on any one of years on the year index zone. Then, contentscorresponding to the year and month focus-positioned in the event thatthe respective operations of depression of the enter key 25 have beendetected are graphically displayed on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar with the timing of detection of the operation of depression ofthe enter key 25 in the state of the focus positioned on any one ofyears on the year index zone.

In an other expression, according to the alternative manner describedabove, the user moves the focus to a desired year on the year index zone(during which the changing of graphical display of contents is notperformed), and depresses the enter key 25. Then, the user moves thefocus to a desired month on the month index zone (during which thechanging of graphical display of contents is not performed), anddepresses the enter key 25.

Thereby, the controller portion 12 recognizes that the graphical displayof the contents corresponding to the currently focus-positioned year andmonth is specified by the user. Then, contents corresponding to thefocus-positioned year and month are detected from the memory 11, thedisplay screen returns from the index screen in the calendar view shownin FIG. 7 to the normal screen shown in FIG. 5. Then, icons and/orthumbnail images corresponding to the contents are displayed on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar. In this case, the contents aregraphically displayed on the calendar-view lifetime calendar at thetiming awaiting the operation of depression of the enter key 25. Assuch, the burden on the controller portion 12 can be reduced by theamount corresponding to the changing of graphical display of contentswhich changing does not have to be performed in units of the movingoperation for the focus.

Further, during the time the focus is positioned on the year and monthindex zones, the display control can be performed to change the displaymode to the mode, in which, for example, the respective date displayfield (display field for corresponding icons and/or thumbnail images) isdisplayed in the half tone. Such a display manner enables the user toeasily recognize the active state of the month index.

(Setting Lifetime Calendar on Standby Screen)

Setting of the lifetime calendar on a standby screen (or, so-called“wallpaper screen” or “hung-up screen,” for example) will be describedherebelow.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, the calendar-viewlifetime calendar is settable on a standby screen. More specifically,upon a setting operation carried out by the user through the operationportion 6 for setting the lifetime calendar on a standby screen, thedisplay portion 5 displays the standby screen. To display the standbyscreen on the display portion 5, the controller portion 12 operates asdescribed herebelow. As described with reference to FIG. 6, of thecontents corresponding to the present date extracted from the timer 10,contents corresponding to the display settings and the filter settingsare detected from the memory 11. Then, the detected icons representingthe respective contents and/or thumbnail images of the still imagesdetected from the memory 11 are displayed on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar corresponding to the present year and month, and the focus ispositioned on the display field for the current or operation date.

FIG. 8 shows a display example of a Calendar-view lifetime calendardisplayed on a standby screen. More specifically, FIG. 8 shows anexample in which the present date extracted from the timer 10 is Sep.13th, 2004, and a calendar-view lifetime calendar for September 2004 isdisplayed on the display portion 5 on a standby screen correspondinglyto the extracted present date. As seen from FIG. 8, the focus ispositioned on the display field for the 13th corresponding to thecurrent or operation date in the present example.

Depending on the case, a desired standby image is preliminarily set bythe user. In this case, under the display control of the controllerportion 12, the standby image is displayed in a half tone, and thecalendar-view lifetime calendar is overlaid and displayed on the standbyimage. As an overall standby screen for display on the display portion5, the standby screen is displayed to be visible through thecalendar-view lifetime calendar.

(Updating of Thumbnail Images in Accordance with Rating Function)

Updating of thumbnail images will be described herebelow.

Respective thumbnail images displayed on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar (inclusive of a calendar-view lifetime calendar set on astandby screen such as described above) are updated to new thumbnailimages at a predetermine time interval.

More specifically, when, as described above, a plurality of still imagecontents for graphical display in a display field for a same date arepresent, one of the plurality of still images by using a random number,and a thumbnail image of the selected still image is displayed in thedisplay field for the date. In this case, the displayed thumbnail of thestill image content is updated to a thumbnail image of an other stillimage at a predetermined time interval in accordance with the “ratingfunction.”

(Update Operation for Updating Thumbnail Image for Display on RespectiveDate Display Field)

At the outset, in response to a user operation for activating thelifetime calendar application program, the controller portion 12executes a periodical update operation (or, “periodical updating,”hereinbelow). Thereby, the controller portion 12 periodically updates athumbnail image(s) displayed on a calendar-view lifetime calendar (referto FIG. 5) and a thumbnail image(s) displayed on a lifetime calendar seton a standby screen (refer to FIG. 8). FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showinga flow of the periodical update operation for a thumbnail image.

Under the control of the controller portion 12, the process shown in theflow diagram of FIG. 9 is all time run in accordance with the lifetimecalendar application program, regardless of the presence or absence ofthe on-operation of the main power of the mobile phone.

As one example, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, totallytwo times of the thumbnail image updating are executed on a dailybasis—one at 12 o'clock midnight and the other at 12 o'clock noon. Thepresent time counted by the timer 10 is all time monitored by thecontroller portion 12. As such, at step S11 the controller portion 12detects (or determines) whether the present time has reached thepredetermined update time. Thus, the process proceeds to step S12 withthe timing of detection that the present time has reached 12 o'clockmidnight or 12 o'clock noon (update time for the thumbnail image).

At step S12, the controller portion 12 determines whether the lifetimecalendar currently is in activation. If the lifetime calendar is inactivation, then the process proceeds to step S16; otherwise proceeds tostep S13.

At step S16, since the lifetime calendar currently is in aduring-activation state, the process proceeds to step S13 at the timingawaiting termination of display of the lifetime calendar. Morespecifically, in the present example, thumbnail image updating is notexecuted during activation of the lifetime calendar. However, theprocess can, of course, be set to execute the thumbnail image updatingeven during activation of the lifetime calendar.

Thus, the process proceeds to step S13 either after the lifetimecalendar has been determined to be not in the during-activation state atstep S12 or after termination of display of the lifetime calendar isdetected at step S16. At step S13, the controller portion 12 determineswhether the lifetime calendar is set on the standby screen (refer toFIG. 8). If the lifetime calendar is set on the standby screen, then theprocess proceeds to step S17; otherwise, the process proceeds to stepS14.

Thus, if the lifetime calendar is set on the standby screen, then theprocess proceeds to step S17. At step S17, all dates on each of which aplurality of still images are present are detected from among dates onwhich thumbnail images are currently displayed on the lifetime calendaron the standby screen. Then, one still image is randomly selected usinga random number on the basis of each detected date from among stillimages other than the still images currently graphically displayed.Then, thumbnail images of the still image contents are formed anddisplayed on the respective display fields for the corresponding dates.

Thereby, the respective thumbnail images displayed on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar set on the standby screen are updated at the timing ofeither 12 o'clock midnight or 12 o'clock noon.

Subsequently, at step S14, to which the process has proceeded as aresult of the detection of an instance of non-setting of the lifetimecalendar on the standby screen, the controller portion 12 enters astandby state at the timing awaiting an operation of activation of thelifetime calendar.

At step S14, to which the process has proceeded as a result of thedetection of an operation of activation of the lifetime calendar, theprocess proceeds to step S15. At step S15, as described with referenceto FIG. 6, the calendar-view lifetime calendar is displayed on thedisplay portion 5. Then, one still image is randomly selected using arandom number on the basis of each date on which the plurality of stillimages are present from among the still images other than the stillimages graphically displayed before the operation of activation. Then,thumbnail images of the respective selected still image contents areformed and displayed on the display fields for the corresponding dates.

Thereby, when the lifetime calendar is activated across 12 o'clockmidnight or 12 o'clock noon, thumbnail images different before and afterthe activation are displayed on the calendar-view lifetime calendar.

(Thumbnail-Image Update Operation in Focus-Stationed State)

A thumbnail-image update operation in a focus-stationed state will bedescribed herebelow. A case is assumed in which the focus is stationedon the display field for any date on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar, and a plurality of still images corresponding to thefocus-stationed date are present. In this case, thumbnail images fordisplay on the focus-stationed display field for the date are updated ata predetermined time interval. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing theflow of the thumbnail-image update operation. The process shown in theflow diagram of FIG. 10 starts at the timing of display of thecalendar-view lifetime calendar on the display portion 5 in accordancewith the lifetime calendar application program stored in the memory 11.

At step S21, the controller portion 12 monitors the operation state ofthe operation portion 6, thereby to determine whether an operation ofmoving the focus is carried out. More specifically, the focus ispositioned on the display field for a current or operation date(corresponding to the display field for September 13th in the example ofFIG. 5) as a default. As described above, the focus is movable along theup-down and left-right directions through the operation of the cross key24 shown in FIG. 2A. As such, at step S21, the controller portion 12detects (determines) whether an operation of moving the focus is carriedout while monitoring the operation state of the cross key 24. If nooperation of moving the focus is detected, then the process proceeds tostep S22; otherwise (if detected), the process proceeds to step S25.

At step S25, in response to the operation of moving the cross key 24,the controller portion 12 performs movement and display control for thefocus being displayed on the display portion 5. Thereby, as describedabove, a date display field corresponding to a focus movementdestination is displayed to be larger than other date display fields,and icons and/or thumbnail images representing corresponding contentsare displayed on the enlarged date display field. Then, the processreturns to step S21.

Thus, in the instance of non-detection of the operation of moving thefocus, the process proceeds to step S22. At step S22, the controllerportion 12 determines in accordance with the information of timeacquired by the timer 10 whether, for example, three seconds has elapsedafter the instance of non-detection of the operation of moving thefocus. More specifically, a continuous stationary time of the focus ismonitored by the controller portion 12. In this state, at step S22, ifthree seconds has not elapsed after the focus entered the stationarystate of the focus, then the process returns to step S21 and proceeds tostep S23 at the timing of the elapse of three seconds after the focusentered the stationary state.

At step S23, the controller portion 12 detects from the memory 11 stillimages corresponding to the focus-stationed date, thereby determiningwhether a plurality of still images corresponding to the focus-stationeddate are present. If a plurality of still images are not present, thenthe process returns to step S21; or otherwise, the process proceeds tostep S24.

At step S24, of the plurality of still images corresponding to thefocus-stationed date, still images other than currently graphicallydisplayed are selected by the controller portion 12 by using a randomnumber. Then, thumbnail images of the selected still images are formed.Then, the thumbnail images being graphically displayed in thefocus-stationed date are updated to the formed new thumbnail images, andare graphically displayed. Then, the process returns to step S21.

Thereby, when the focus is continuously stationed on the date on whichthe plurality of still images are present, thumbnail images of the stillimages are updated every three seconds. Consequently, just by moving thefocus to be stationed on a desired date display field, the user is ableto verify still images corresponding to the date through thumbnailimages updated and displayed every three seconds.

Thus, in the present example, when the focus is continuously stationedon the same date display field for the time period of “three seconds,”thumbnail images are updated. However, the time period is one example,and can be altered corresponding to the design or like. For example, analternative can be such that when the focus is continuously stationed onthe same date display field for the time period of “five” seconds,thumbnail images are updated; or when the focus is continuouslystationed on the same date display field for the time period of “10”seconds, thumbnail images are updated. An other alternative can be suchthat a desired time is selectable on a setting menu.

(Day View)

The day-view lifetime calendar will be described in further detailhereinbelow. According to the calendar-view lifetime calendar describedabove, the user is able to recognize the presence of various contentscorresponding to respective dates through corresponding icons and/orthumbnail images displayed on the respective date display fields. Whenfurther desiring to verify the “contents” of the respective contentcorresponding to the respective date, the user operates to display abelow-described day-view lifetime calendar on the display portion 5.Captions (subject names) of, for example, contents corresponding torespective dates are graphically displayed on the day-view lifetimecalendar, such that the user is able to verify an outline “contents” ofa desired content.

When desiring to verify a detailed “contents” of a desired content, theuser selects the desired content on the day-view lifetime calendar.Then, a dedicated application program corresponding to the contentselected by the user is activated, and the process, such as display orregeneration, corresponding to the content selected by the user isexecuted. Thereby, the user is enabled to verify the “contents” of thedesired content.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a process in the range offrom the step of displaying the day-view lifetime calendar to the stepof processing a content selected on the calendar-view lifetime calendarin accordance with a dedicated application program corresponding to thecontent. According to the flow diagram, an operation of depression ofthe enter key 25 is detected by the controller portion 12, thereby tostart the flow in accordance with the application program stored in thememory 11.

To begin with, at step S31, upon detection of an operation of depressionof the enter key 25, on the display portion 5 displays a day-viewlifetime calendar based on a date focus-positioned on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar. In the case of a respective date on which a pluralityof contents are present, the controller portion 12 performs displaycontrol such that the plurality of contents are arranged from upper tolower rows of the display field for the respective date along thelongitudinal direction of the display portion 5. Then, the focus ispositioned on a content positioned on the highest row (i.e., contenthaving the highest priority) among contents corresponding to thefocus-positioned date. FIG. 12 shows a display example of the day-viewlifetime calendar.

Two types of display screens are provided to display the day-viewlifetime calendars. One type is a “list display screen” as is shown inFIG. 12, and the other type is “thumbnail display screen” as is shown inFIG. 13. When performing display screen changing from the calendar viewto day view of the lifetime calendar, the “list display screen,” asshown in FIG. 12, is displayed as a default (screen).

Shown in FIG. 12 is the day-view lifetime calendar based on Sep. 13,2005 or the date focus-positioned on the calendar-view lifetimecalendar. As shown in FIG. 12, the day-view lifetime calendar displaysitems such as a current or operation date, such as “Sep. 13, 2005,” andicons of birthday and schedule contents which icons are indicative ofthe types of contents permitted to be graphically displayed through thedisplay and filter settings.

In addition, a zone of date indexes (or, “date index zone,”hereinbelow), each of which indexes has a length corresponding to thenumber of contents along the longitudinal direction is displayed alongthe left-end longitudinal direction of the display area. In the exampleof FIG. 12, since only one content corresponding to September 12th ispresent, a date index corresponding to September 12th has a length forgraphically displaying one content. In comparison, since three contentscorresponding to September 13th are present, a date index correspondingto September 13th has a length for graphically displaying threecontents.

Further, the controller portion 12 performs display control such thatdates on the date index zone are continuously adjacently arranged anddisplayed by suppressing a date display field(s) with no content beingpresent. In the example of FIG. 12, no content is present between thedisplay fields for August 28th and September 12th. In this case, thecontents of August 28th and September 12th are graphically displayed tobe adjacent one another. This makes it possible to prevent inconvenienceof displaying blank display fields on the day-view lifetime calendarwhen many date display fields without content are present.

Further, as in the case of September 13th shown in FIG. 12, in the caseof a date on which a plurality of contents are present, the controllerportion 12 performs display control such that the respective contentsare graphically list-displayed in accordance with the order of priority.By way of one example, the order of priority for graphically displayingsuch contents is as described herebelow.

In the case where items of time information in a plurality of contentscorresponding to a same date are different from one another (i.e., inthe case where the times of the respective contents of the same date aredifferent from one another), the controller portion 12 performs displaycontrol to graphically list-display the contents in the followingpriority order:

1. Birthday content;

2. All-day set schedule content set on a last date; and

3. In a relatively early order among the capture time (storage time) ofa still image content, start time of a schedule, reception time of areceived e-mail content, and transmission time of a transmitted e-mailcontent.

In the case where items of information of time in a plurality ofcontents corresponding to a same date are identical to one another(i.e., in the case where the times of the respective contents of thesame date are identical to one another), the controller portion 12performs display control to graphically list-display the contents in thefollowing priority order:

1. Still image content;

2. Received e-mail content;

3. Transmitted e-mail content; and

4. Schedule content.

More specifically, the controller portion 12 performs the displaycontrol as described hereinbelow. In the case where items of informationof time in a plurality of same contents are identical to one another,the respective contents are graphically displayed in an arrangementorder employed in an application program dedicated for regeneration ofthe contents. In the case where a plurality of all-day set schedulecontents are present, the respective schedule contents are graphicallylist-displayed by being arranged in a registration order (new→old) ofthe respective schedules stored in the scheduler. Similarly, also in thecase where a plurality of schedule contents with a same start time arepresent, the respective schedule contents are graphically list-displayedby being arranged in a registration order (new→old) of the respectiveschedules stored in the scheduler. Further, in the case where aplurality of birthday contents with a same date are present, thebirthday contents are graphically list-displayed by being arranged inthe order of memory numbers in the telephone directory (i.e., thecontents are graphically list-displayed by being arranged in aregistration order in the telephone directory). However, in the casewhere a date in a birthday contents of a user registered in thetelephone directory is identical to a date in a birthday content storedin the registration field of the private information (i.e., birthdaycontent corresponding to the own birthday (birthday of the user of themobile phone)), the birthday content stored in the registration fieldsof the private information is preferentially graphically displayed (withhigh priority).

Further, for graphically displaying respective contents, the controllerportion 12 performs display control so that metadata are graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar, thereby to visually indicate the“contents” of respective contents, as described in detail herebelow.

For graphically displaying a “birthday content,” the display portion 5displays a user name, birthday icon (icon formed of an image of a cakewith candles (standing thereon) in the present example), a thumbnailimage of the user registered in the telephone directory.

For graphically displaying a “still image content,” the display portion5 graphically displays capture time/storage time (data), thumbnailimage, managing title, file type icon, and acquisition source icon.

For graphically displaying a “received e-mail content,” the displayportion 5 displays a received mail icon, reception time, “From” icon,transmission source name/address, attached data icon, transmissionsource image stored in the telephone directory, subject-name icon, andsubject-name data.

For graphically displaying a “transmitted e-mail content,” the displayportion 5 displays a received mail icon, transmission time, “To” icon,addressee name/plural-persons icon, attached data icon, addressee imagestored in the telephone directory, subject-name icon, and subject-namedata.

For graphically displaying a “schedule content,” the display portion 5displays a schedule icon, start time of the schedule, classificationicon, data indicative of a schedule summary/content, alarm icon, anddata indicative of alarm ON/OFF setting.

The case where contents are graphically displayed in the date displayfield for September 13th in FIG. 12 is an example in which a birthdaycontent, schedule content, and still image content in theabove-described order of priority are sequentially graphically displayedin the above-described order of priority. As seen from the example, forgraphically displaying the birthday content, the display portion 5displays a frame image which is a display frame showing the birthdayicon of an image of cake with candles and flowers in a central positionof the frame image. In addition, the user name “Funabashi” is displayedin a central position of the frame image. This enables the user, who hasobserved the day-view lifetime calendar, to recognize that September13th is the birthday of “Funabashi.”

Further, for graphically displaying a schedule content, the displayportion 5 displays various items, such as a start time such as “18:46;”schedule icon of an image of a pencil placed on a calendar;classification icon of, for example, a cocktail glass indicative ofclassification of the schedule; data indicative of a summary/content ofa schedule such as “Meal meeting in Ginza with Yamashita; an alarm iconof an image of a bell; and data indicative of ON/OFF setting of thealarm. This enables the user, who has observed the day-view lifetimecalendar, to recognize that there is a meal meeting scheduled for 18:4613th September in Ginza with Yamashita.

For graphically displaying characters, characters exceeding apredetermined number of characters to be displayed are suppressed orconcatenated. For this reason, the display “Meal meeting in Ginza withYamashita,” which is the summary/content of the schedule, isincompletely displayed. However, the arrangement can be such that thecharacter size is reduced to be all-displayed, or the characters arescroll-displayed in response to operation of the cross key 24.

Further, for graphically displaying a still image content, the variousitems are displayed. The items are, for example, a capture time/storagetime such as “13:00;” still image indicative that the content is stillimage content; managing title such as “Walk with dog;” file type iconindicative of the file type and size; and acquisition source iconindicative that the still image content was captured or acquired by thecamera unit 8. This enables the user, who has observed the day-viewlifetime calendar, to recognize that there is the still image capturedduring the walk with dog.

When a plurality of users, such as Funabashi and Yamada, whose birthdaysare stored as September 13th in, for example, the telephone directoryand registration fields of the private information are present, thelifetime calendar list-displays icons of the respective birthdaycontents of Funabashi and Yamada in the date display field for September13th. Similarly, when a plurality of still image contents captured oracquired on September 13th are present, the lifetime calendarlist-displays thumbnail images of the respective still image contentssequentially in order of the capture time, for example.

By performing display screen changing from the calendar view lifetimecalendar to the day-view lifetime calendar, the “contents” of arespective content, is graphically displayed, such that the user is ableto verify the “contents” of a desired content.

Referring to the flow diagram of FIG. 11, if at step S31 the listdisplay screen of the day-view lifetime calendar is displayed, then theprocess proceeds to step S32. At step S32, while monitoring theoperation state of the operation portion 6, the controller portion 12determines the presence or absence of a display-screen changingoperation.

More specifically, as described above, as display screens for theday-view lifetime calendar, the “list display screen” shown in FIG. 12and the “thumbnail display screen” shown in FIG. 13 are provided. As oneexample, changing between the respective display screens is carried outby the user through operation of depression of the first soft key 26(shown in FIG. 2A). As such, at step S32, the controller portion 12determines whether the first soft key 26 is depressed, thereby todetermine whether the operation of changing between the display screensis carried out. If the depression operation for the first soft key 26 isdetected, then the process proceeds to step S37. Otherwise, if thedepression operation for the first soft key 26 has not been detected,then the process proceeds to step S33.

At step S37, to which the process has proceeded as a result of thedetection of the operation of depression of the first soft key 26, thecontroller portion 12 performs changing and displaying control to changethe day-view lifetime calendar displayed on the display portion 5 fromthe “list display screen” shown in FIG. 12 to the “thumbnail displayscreen” shown in FIG. 13.

When the day-view lifetime calendar is changed to the “thumbnail displayscreen,” the presence of, mainly, for example, respective contents aregraphically displayed through thumbnail images or icons. FIG. 13 is aview showing a display example of the “thumbnail display screen” of theday-view lifetime calendar. With reference to FIG. 13, when a receivede-mail content received at 08:31 on September 12th is present, thecontroller portion 12 detects a user corresponding to a transmissionsource of the received e-mail piece from the telephone directory. Then,the day-view lifetime calendar displays a thumbnail image of thedetected user, which is stored in the telephone directory, in thedisplay field for September 12th. This enables the user who has observedthe “thumbnail display screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar torecognize the presence of the received e-mail content received at 08:31on September 12th.

Similarly, when a birthday content of a user whose birthday is September13th is present, the controller portion 12 detects a thumbnail image ofa user whose birthday is September 13th from the telephone directory.Then, the thumbnail image in the display field for September 12th isdisplayed. Further, a birthday icon is displayed on the thumbnail image.This enables the user who has observed the “thumbnail display screen” ofthe day-view lifetime calendar to recognize that September 13th is thebirthday of the user shown in the thumbnail image.

Similarly, when a schedule content with a start time of 18:46 onSeptember 13th is present, the classification icon for the schedulecontent is displayed in the display field for September 13th. Further, aschedule icon indicative of the start time of the schedule andindicative that the content is the schedule content is displayed on theclassification icon. This enables the user who has observed the“thumbnail display screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar torecognize the presence of the schedule that has the contents shown bythe classification icon and that is started from 18:46 on September13th.

Similarly, when a still image captured or acquired at 13:00 on September13th is present, the thumbnail image is displayed in the display fieldfor September 13th. Further, a still image icon indicative of the starttime of the schedule and indicative that the content is the still imagecontent is displayed on the thumbnail image. This enables the user whohas observed the “thumbnail display screen” of the day-view lifetimecalendar to recognize the presence of the still image content capturedor acquired at 13:00 on September 13th.

When a thumbnail image of a user corresponding to a birthday content isnot stored in the telephone directory, a user name stored in thetelephone directory is displayed instead of the thumbnail image.

When a thumbnail image of a corresponding to a transmitted/receivede-mail content is not stored in, for example, the telephone directory orthe registration field of private information, a user name stored in thetelephone directory or the registration field of private information isdisplayed instead of the thumbnail image.

When a classification icon indicative of the classification of thetransmitted/received e-mail content is not stored in the scheduler, onlythe start time of the schedule and schedule icon are displayed.

On the “list display screen” shown in FIG. 12, respective contents aregraphically displayed through, for example, such that thumbnail images,icons, and characters, the outline “contents” of the respective contentsare recognizable. However, on the “thumbnail display screen” shown inFIG. 13, while it is difficult to graphically display so many contentsat one time, the respective contents are, basically, graphicallydisplayed through thumbnail images and icons, such that many contentscan be graphically displayed at one time.

At step S32 of the flow diagram shown in FIG. 11, if the process hasproceeded to step S33 as a result of non-detection of the operation ofchanging between the “list display screen” and the “thumbnail displayscreen,” then the controller portion 12 determines whether an operationof moving the focus on a date index is carried out.

More specifically, when an operation of depression of the second softkey 27 is detected in the state of the focus positioned on any contenton the “list display screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar shown inFIG. 12, the process proceeds to step S39. At step S39, the focus ismoved on a date on the date index corresponding to the currentlyfocus-positioned content.

For example, in the state of the focus positioned on a birthday contentof “Funabashi,” when an operation of depression of the second soft key27 is detected, the focus is positioned on the date 13th, which is thedate on the date index in which the birthday content of “Funabashi” isgraphically displayed. Thus, when the focus is positioned on arespective date in a respective date index, the focus is movable inunits of each date.

More specifically, when moving the focus, the user moves the focus onthe date index zone and carries out an up-down operation of the crosskey 24. At step S40, the presence or absence of an up-down operation ofthe cross key 24 is detected. If the up-down operation of the cross key24 is detected, at step S41 the focus on the date index zone iscontrolled to move and appear in units of the date correspondingly tothe up-down operation of the cross key 24.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12, in the state of the focuspositioned on the date 13th on the date index zone, when an up-operationof the cross key 24 is detected, the focus is controlled in units of theup-operation to move and appear on respective date display fields withcontents being present in the order: 13th→12th August 28th→August 27th .. . .

Similarly, in the example shown in FIG. 12, in the state of the focuspositioned on the date 13th on the date index zone, when adown-operation of the cross key 24 is detected, the focus is controlledin units of the down-operation to move and appear on respective datedisplay fields with contents being present in the order: 13th→14th→15th. . . .

In this manner, contents graphically displayed on the day-view lifetimecalendar can be changed in units of the date.

In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, when returning the focusmoved to the date index zone to a display field for a respectivecontent, the user depresses the enter key 25. The return operation ismonitored by the controller portion 12. At step S42, if an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 is detected, then the process proceeds tostep S43. At step S43, the focus is controlled to move and appear on thedisplay field for the respective content from the date index zone.

At step S33, if an operation of moving the focus to the date index zoneis not detected, then the process proceeds to step S34. At step S34, thepresence or absence of an operation of moving the focus is determined.That is, since the focus positioned on the respective content displayfield is moved through the up-down operation of the cross key 24, atstep S34 the presence or absence of the up-down operation of the crosskey 24 is monitored by the controller portion 12. If an up-downoperation of the cross key 24 is detected, then the process proceeds tostep S38. At step S38, in correspondence to the up-down operation of thecross key 24, the focus is controlled to move and appear in units ofeach content.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12, in the state of the focuspositioned on the birthday content of Funabashi, when an up-operation ofthe cross key 24 is detected, the focus is controlled in units of eachcontent to move and appear on a content in the order: birthday contentof Funabashi→received e-mail content from Funabashi→transmitted e-mailcontent to Oyamada . . . .

Similarly, in the example shown in FIG. 12, in the state of the focuspositioned on the birthday content of Funabashi, when a down-operationof the cross key 24 is detected, the focus is controlled in units of thedown-operation to move and appear on a respective content in the order:schedule content with the title “Meal meeting in Ginza withYamashita→still image content with the title “Walk with dog”→birthdaycontent of Yamashita.

Thus, the “outline contents” of a respective content is recognizable onthe day-view lifetime calendar. When desiring to verify a “detailedcontents” of a desired content, the user moves the focus in units ofeach date or units of each content, thereby to position the focus on thedesired content and to then depress the enter key 25. At step S35 in theflow diagram of FIG. 11, the presence or absence of the operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 is detected. More specifically, at stepS35, the controller portion 12 detect the presence or absence of theoperation of depression of the enter key 25, which signifies thespecification of display or regeneration of the “detailed contents” of afocus-positioned content. At step S35, if the operation of depression ofthe enter key 25 is detected, then the process proceeds to step S36. Atstep S36, a dedicated application program corresponding to a currentlyfocus-positioned content is invoked from the memory 11 and activated,and the content is processed in accordance with the application program.Then, the entire process of the flow diagram shown in FIG. 11terminates.

More specifically, in the state of the focus positioned on a still imagecontent on the day-view lifetime calendar, when an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 is detected, the camera control programstored in the memory 11 is activated. Then, the still image content isgraphically displayed on the display portion 5 in accordance with aviewer function of the camera control program. This enables the user toverify the detailed content of the still image content selected on theday-view lifetime calendar.

Similarly, in the state of the focus positioned on a received ortransmitted e-mail content on the day-view lifetime calendar, when anoperation of depression of the enter key 25 is detected, the e-mailmanagement program stored in the memory 11 is activated. Then, the“contents” (such as text) of the received or transmitted e-mail contentis displayed on the display portion 5 in accordance with the e-mailmanagement program. This enables the user to verify the detailedcontents of the received or transmitted e-mail content selected on theday-view lifetime calendar.

Similarly, in the state of the focus positioned on a schedule content onthe day-view lifetime calendar, when an operation of depression of theenter key 25 is detected, the scheduler management program stored in thememory 11 is activated. Then, the “contents” of the schedule content isdisplayed on the display portion 5 in accordance with the schedulermanagement program. This enables the user to verify the detailedcontents of the schedule content selected on the day-view lifetimecalendar.

Similarly, in the state of the focus positioned on a birthday content onthe day-view lifetime calendar, when an operation of depression of theenter key 25 is detected, the registration fields for a usercorresponding to the birthday content stored in the telephone directoryor the registration fields of private information of the user of themobile phone are displayed on the display portion 5. Thereby, atelephone number, e-mail address, and the like of the user correspondingto the birthday content are displayed, such that communication caneasily be made with the user by phone or e-mail.

Description above has been made such that, mainly, on the “list displayscreen” of the day-view lifetime calendar, in the state of the focuspositioned on the desired content, when the enter key 25 is depressed,the controller portion 12 activates the application programcorresponding to the content. This is similar as in the case of the“thumbnail display screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar. That is,in the state where the “thumbnail display screen” shown in FIG. 13 isdisplayed, when an operation of depression of the enter key 25 isdetected, an application program corresponding to a focus-positionedcontent on the “thumbnail display screen” is activated. Thereby,similarly as in the event of the “list display screen” being displayed,the user is able to verify the “contents” of the content selected bypositioning the focus also in the event of the “thumbnail displayscreen” being displayed.

(Graphical Display of New-Schedule Creation Content in Transition to DayView)

As September 9th shown in FIG. 5, the display field with no content isdisplayed as blank on the calendar-view lifetime calendar. In the eventthat the focus is moved onto such a date with no content on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar and the enter key 25 is depressed, whenthe day-view lifetime calendar is displayed, a “new-schedule creationcontent” as described herebelow is displayed.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing the operation of graphicallydisplaying the new-schedule creation content. In the flow diagram, thecontroller portion 12 detects an operation of depression of the enterkey 25 in the state of the focus positioned on any date display field onthe calendar-view lifetime calendar. Then, the process is started inaccordance with the lifetime calendar application program.

At step S51, the controller portion 12 determines the presence orabsence of a content corresponding to a selected date (focus-positioneddate) on the calendar-view lifetime calendar. If a content correspondingto the focus-positioned date on the calendar-view lifetime calendar ispresent, then the process proceeds to step S31 of the flow diagram ofFIG. 11. At step S31, the list display screen of the day-view lifetimecalendar as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the display portion 5.

Alternately, if a content corresponding to the focus-positioned date onthe calendar-view lifetime calendar is absent, then the process proceedsto step S52. At step S52, a list display screen of the day-view lifetimecalendar as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed on the display portion 5. Anew display field is provided for the focus-positioned date on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar, and the characters “New schedulecreation” and an icon are displayed in the new display field.

More specifically, as described above, in the event of display of theday-view lifetime calendar, a date display field(s) with no contentsuppressed for display. In the event that a date with no content isselected on the calendar-view lifetime calendar, however, when theday-view lifetime calendar is displayed, the new display field for thedate with no content is provided on the day-view lifetime calendar, andthe characters “New schedule creation” and the icon are displayed withthe focus in the display field.

In the example shown in FIG. 15, Sep. 9, 2005 with no content isselected on the calendar-view lifetime calendar. In this case, a newdisplay field for Sep. 9, 2005 is provided on the day-view lifetimecalendar, and characters “New schedule creation” and the icon aredisplayed with the focus in the display field.

Subsequently, at step S53, the controller portion 12 determines whetheran operation of depression of the enter key 25 is carried out in thestate of the focus positioned on the display field showing thecharacters “New schedule creation” and the icon. By an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 by the user in the above-described state,it is meant that the user desires to store a new schedule(s) for thedate with no content. As such, the process proceeds to step S36 of theflow diagram shown in FIG. 11. At step S36, the scheduler managementprogram is activated to thereby display a new schedule creation screen.In this manner, the user is able to store the new schedule into thescheduler. In addition, a schedule content of the new stored schedule isgraphically displayed on the calendar-view or the day-view lifetimecalendar when displayed.

Even after the day-view lifetime calendar is changed from the “listdisplay screen” to the “thumbnail display screen,” display of “newschedule creation” is done. More specifically, when an operation ofchanging the screen to the “thumbnail display screen” is carried out atstep S32 of the flow diagram of FIG. 11 after the characters “Newschedule creation” and the icon have been displayed on the “list displayscreen” of the day-view lifetime calendar, at step S37 a “thumbnaildisplay screen,” as shown in FIG. 16, only the icon corresponding to thecharacters “new schedule creation” is displayed in the display field forthe corresponding date.

Thus, while the “list display screen” displays, as shown in FIG. 15, thecharacters “New schedule creation” and the icon, the “thumbnail displayscreen” displays, as shown in FIG. 16, only the icon indicative that thecontent is a new schedule creation content.

Similar to the above, in the case of the “thumbnail display screen”also, the controller portion 12 determines whether an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 is carried out in the state of the focuspositioned on the icon indicative of “new schedule creation.” If theoperation is detected, then the process proceeds to step S36. At stepS36, the scheduler management program is activated to thereby display anew schedule creation screen. In this manner, the user is able to storea new schedule on a new schedule creation screen displayed in accordancewith the scheduler management program. In addition, a schedule contentof the new stored schedule is graphically displayed on the calendar-viewor the day-view lifetime calendar when displayed.

(Remembrance Popup Display Operation)

A remembrance popup display operation will be described herebelow. Whenthe focus has been positioned on any date on the calendar-view orday-view lifetime calendar for a predetermined time period or longer,the controller portion 12 operates to perform popup display of a contentcorresponding to a past date with respect to the focus-positioned date(in accordance with the remembrance popup function). FIG. 17 is a flowdiagram showing the flow of the remembrance popup display operation.

The process shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 17 starts at one of twotimings in accordance with the lifetime calendar application program,which is stored in the memory 11. One is the timing of detection of astationary state of the focus positioned on any date on thecalendar-view lifetime calendar described with reference to FIG. 5. Theother is the timing of detection of a stationary state of the focuspositioned on any date on the day-view lifetime calendar described withreference to FIGS. 12 and 13. That is, the process shown in the flowdiagram of FIG. 17 is started by the controller portion 12 at the timingof detection of the focus continuously positioned on any date on thecalendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar.

At step S61, the controller portion 12 reads a preliminarily setremembrance display from the memory 11, and counts the time periodelapsed since detection of the stationary state of the focus inaccordance with information of time measured by the timer 10. Then, thecontroller portion 12 determines whether the counted time period hasexceeded the preliminarily set remembrance display time.

More specifically, as described with reference to FIG. 4A, in the mobilephone of the present embodiment, the respective one of the “Fast,”“Normal,” and “Slow” pull-down menu items allows setting of the timeperiod until the execution of the remembrance popup display. Forexample, when the “First” menu item is selected, the remembrance popupdisplay is performed after “5 seconds” has elapsed since the detectionof the stationary state of the focus. Alternately, when the “Normal”menu item is selected, the remembrance popup display is performed after,for example, “7.5 seconds” has elapsed since the detection of thestationary state of the focus. Still alternately, when the “Slow” menuitem is selected, the remembrance popup display is performed after, forexample, “10 seconds” has elapsed the detection of the stationary stateof the focus.

Accordingly, at step S61, the controller portion 12 performs thedetermination in the above example case. When the “First” menu item isselected, it is determined whether “5 seconds” has elapsed since thedetection of the stationary state of the focus. Alternately, when the“Normal” menu item is selected, it is determined whether “7.5 seconds”has elapsed since the detection of the stationary state of the focus.Still alternately, when the “Slow” menu item is selected, it isdetermined whether “10 seconds” has elapsed the detection of thestationary state of the focus. Then, the process proceeds to step S62 atthe timing of the detection that the elapsed time period after thedetection of the stationary state of the focus has exceeded thepreliminarily set remembrance display time.

At step S62, a content having oldest information of time (content withthe oldest date) is detected from among various contents stored in thememory 11. Then, the process proceeds to step S63.

At step S63, the controller portion 12 performs a comparison between theinformation of time contained in the content having the oldest date anddetected at step S62 and the present date extracted from the timer 10.Thereby, the controller portion 12 determines whether the oldest date inthe content detected at step S62 is a date one-year or more previous tothe present time. If the oldest date detected at step S62 is determinedto be a date one-year or more previous to the present time, then theprocess proceeds to step S69. Otherwise, if the oldest date contained inthe content detected at step S62 is a date within one year from thepresent time, then the process proceeds to step S64.

Thus, the process proceeds to step S69 after the oldest date in thecontent detected at step S62 has been determined at step S63 to be adate one-month or more previous to the present time. At step S69, thecontroller portion 12 attempts to detect from the memory 11 content of apredetermined type corresponding to either a date corresponding to adate one-month previous to a currently focus-positioned date or a dateclose to the one-month previous date on the calendar-view or day-viewlifetime calendar. However, a case can take place in which thecontroller portion 12 has detected from the memory 11 no content of apredetermined type corresponding to either a date corresponding to adate one-month previous to a currently focus-positioned date or a dateclose to the one-month previous date. In this case, the controllerportion 12 attempts to detect from the memory 11 a predetermined typecorresponding to either a date corresponding to a date two-year previousto a currently focus-positioned date or a date close to the two-yearprevious date.

As one example, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, contentsare graphically displayed through the remembrance popup function in thefollowing order of priority:

1. Still image content captured or acquired by the camera unit 8;

2. Protection-set received or transmitted e-mail content;

3. Schedule content;

4. Still image content downloaded via a network; and

5. Non-protection-set received or transmitted e-mail content.

In the event of executing the remembrance popup display, variouscontents are detected in accordance with the order of priority.

The detection operation for detecting a content at step S69 will bedescribed in more detail hereinbelow. The controller portion 12 firstattempts to detect the presence or absence of a content corresponding toone-month previous date to the currently focus-positioned date. Whenhaving detected no content corresponding to the one-month previous date,then the controller portion 12 attempts to detect the presence orabsence of a content corresponding to two-year previous date to thecurrently focus-positioned date. Thus, the controller portion 12attempts to detect the presence or absence of the content bysequentially going back on the “per-year basis” to a year to which thedate of the oldest content belongs.

By way of one example, a case is now assumed in which, as the contenthaving the oldest date, a content having the date Jul. 10, 2003 isdetected, and the currently focus-positioned date on the calendar-viewor day-view lifetime calendar is Sep. 13, 2005. In this case, thecontroller portion 12 first attempts to detect from the memory 11 acontent corresponding to Sep. 13, 2004 corresponding to a one-monthprevious date.

When having not detected such a content exactly corresponding to theone-month previous date (i.e., when no such a content is present), thecontroller portion 12 attempts to detect from the memory 11 contentscorresponding to respective dates in, for example, one week before andafter Sep. 13, 2004, which corresponds to one-year previous date, (Sep.6 to 12, 2004 and Sep. 14 to 20, 2004).

When having not detected such a content exactly corresponding to therespective one-month previous date, the controller portion 12 attemptsto detect from the memory 11 contents corresponding to the two-yearprevious date to the currently focus-positioned date.

When having not detected such a content exactly corresponding to thetwo-year previous date (i.e., when no such a content is present), thecontroller portion 12 attempts to detect from the memory 11 contentscorresponding to respective dates in, for example, one week before andafter Sep. 13, 2003, which corresponds to the two-year previous date,(Sep. 6 to 12, 2003 and Sep. 14 to 20, 2003) corresponding to thetwo-year previous date.

Thus, the controller portion 12 attempts to detect the presence orabsence of the content by sequentially going back on the “per-yearbasis” to the year to which the date of the oldest content belongs.

Then, at step S70, the controller portion 12 determines the presence orabsence of a content detected in the “per-year basis” detection. If acontent of the above-described predetermined type is detected, then theprocess proceeds to step S66 at the timing of the detection. Otherwise,if a content of the above-described predetermined type is not detected,then the process proceeds to step S71.

If at step S63 the controller portion 12 determines the oldest date tobe not a one-month or more previous date, then at step S64 thecontroller portion 12 determines whether the oldest date is a one-monthor more previous date. If the oldest date is determined to be aone-month or more previous date, then the process proceeds to step S71.Otherwise, if the oldest date is determined to be a date within onemonth, then the process proceeds to step S65.

If at step S64 the oldest date is determined to be a one-month or moreprevious date and if a corresponding content is not detected even whenthe “per-year basis” content detection has been made at steps S69 andS70, the controller portion 12 performs “per-month basis” contentdetection at step S71.

At step S71, the controller portion 12 first attempts to detect thepresence or absence of a content corresponding to one-month previousdate to the currently focus-positioned date. When having detected nocontent corresponding to the one-month previous date, then thecontroller portion 12 attempts to detect the presence or absence of acontent corresponding to two-month previous date to the currentlyfocus-positioned date. Thus, the controller portion 12 attempts todetect the presence or absence of the content by sequentially going backon the “per-month basis” to a month to which the date of the oldestcontent belongs.

By way of one example, a case is now assumed in which, as the contenthaving the oldest date, a content having the date Nov. 10, 2004 isdetected, and the currently focus-positioned date on calendar-view orday-view lifetime calendar is Sep. 13, 2005. In this case, thecontroller portion 12 first attempts to detect from the memory 11contents corresponding to Aug. 13, 2005, which corresponds to theone-month previous date to the currently focus-positioned date andrespective dates in, for example, one week before and after Aug. 13,2005 (Aug. 6 to 12 and 14 to 20, 2004).

When having not detected such contents exactly corresponding to therespective one-month previous dates, the controller portion 12 attemptsto detect from the memory 11 contents corresponding to Jul. 13, 2005,which corresponds to the two-month previous date to the currentlyfocus-positioned date, and respective dates in, for example, one weekbefore and after Jul. 13, 2005 (Jul. 6 to 12, and 14 to 20, 2005).

Thus, the controller portion 12 attempts to detect the presence orabsence of the content by sequentially going back on the “per-monthbasis” to the month to which the date of the oldest content belongs.Then, at step S72, the controller portion 12 determines the presence orabsence of a content detected in the “per-month basis” detection. If acontent of the above-described predetermined type is detected, then theprocess proceeds to step S66 at the timing of the detection. Otherwise,if a content of the above-described predetermined type is not detected,then the process proceeds to step S65.

If at step S64 the oldest date is a within-one-month date is determinedto be a within-one-month date and in the event that a correspondingcontent is not detected even when the “per-month basis” contentdetection has been made at steps S71 and S72, then at step S65 thecontroller portion 12 randomly determines a date in accordance with arandom number from among dates between the currently focus-positioneddate and the oldest date. Then, the process proceeds to step S66.

If at step S66 the respective content is detected in the “per-yearbasis” detection, “per-month basis” detection, or random detection, thenat step S66 the respective content is popup-displayed on the displayportion 5, and history information indicative of the graphicallydisplayed content is stored into a remembrance list in the memory 11shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 18 to 20, respectively, are display examples of contents presentedin the remembrance popup display. FIG. 18 is a display example ofcontents popup-displayed in the event of displaying the calendar-viewlifetime calendar. In the display example of FIG. 18, the focus ispositioned on October 13th on the calendar-view lifetime calendar ofOctober 2005 (corresponding to a current or operation date in thepresent example), in which contents of Oct. 13, 2004 corresponding to aone-year previous date to Oct. 13, 2005 are detected andpopup-displayed.

FIG. 19 is a display example of contents popup-displayed on a listdisplay screen of the day-view lifetime calendar. In this example, thefocus is positioned on a birthday content on a birthday content on Sep.23, 2005, and correspondingly thereto, contents corresponding to Sep.22, 2004 are detected and popup-displayed.

In this case, normally, contents corresponding to Sep. 23, 2004, whichis the one-year previous date to Sep. 23, 2005, are to bepopup-displayed. However, in the example of FIG. 19, since no contentcorresponding to Sep. 23, 2004 is present, the contents corresponding toSeptember 22nd belonging to the period before and after Sep. 23, 2004are popup-displayed.

FIG. 20 is a display example of contents popup-displayed on a thumbnaildisplay screen of the day-view lifetime calendar. In the display exampleshown in FIG. 20, the focus is positioned on a thumbnail image of astill image content corresponding to Sep. 23, 2005, and correspondinglythereto, contents corresponding to Sep. 23, 2004 are detected andpopup-displayed.

In such remembrance popup-display, the controller portion 12 providescontrol such that the popup-display is performed in an area excepting adisplay area for a focus-positioned content. More specifically, in theexample of FIG. 18, the focus is positioned on the content correspondingto October 13th graphically displayed in substantially the center of thedisplay portion 5. As such, the popup display is not performed in thedisplay area of the currently focus-positioned content, but is performedin, for example, a display area near the lower end portion of thedisplay portion 5 (or can be performed in a display area near the upperend portion of the display portion 5).

Further, in the event of providing the remembrance popup display, aplurality of contents, such as three contents, for example, aregraphically list-displayed by being arranged along the short sidedirection of the display portion 5. In the example of FIG. 18, three ormore contents are detected in accordance with the order of contentpriority, whereby a birthday content, still image content (thumbnailimage) captured or acquired by the camera portion 8, and protection-setreceived e-mail content are displayed in left to right display areas(popup display areas). When two or less (one) contents are detected, theresidual display area is displayed as a blank.

Further, when four or more detected contents are present, contents otherthan those previously graphically displayed are graphically displayed ina subsequent operation of remembrance popup display. More specifically,a case is now assumed in which, in the example of FIG. 18, six stillimage contents are detected as contents corresponding to Oct. 13, 2004.In this case, the controller portion 12 stores information regardingthree still image contents presented in the remembrance popup display(such as identification information of the respective still imagecontents). Then, in the event of performing a subsequent operation ofremembrance popup display to be performed corresponding to Oct. 13,2004, the remembrance popup display is performed in accordance with thestored information to display three still image contents different fromthe three still image contents presented in the previous remembrancepopup display. Thereby, even when performing the operations of theremembrance popup display corresponding to the same date, a differentcontent(s) can be displayed every time the remembrance popup display isperformed.

Subsequently, after the remembrance popup display such as describedabove, at step S67 of the flow diagram of FIG. 17, the controllerportion 12 monitors the operation state of the operation portion 6 andthereby determines whether an operation of moving the currentlystationary focus has been performed. The remembrance popup display iscontinued until detection of an operation of moving the focus, and theprocess proceeds to step S68 at the timing of detection of an operationof moving the focus.

At step S68, since an operation of moving the focus is detected, thecurrent remembrance popup display is closed to disappear from thedisplay portion 5, and then the entire process shown in the flow diagramof FIG. 17 is terminated. That is, the remembrance popup display isperformed during the stationary state of the focus and is terminated atthe timing of detection of the focus operation. Thereby, the remembrancepopup display can be performed only during non-operation by the user,consequently making it possible to prevent the user operation from beingdisturbed by the remembrance popup display.

(Remembrance List Display Operation)

After the remembrance popup display is performed, the informationregarding the respective content graphically displayed in theremembrance popup display is stored into the remembrance list in thememory 11, as described above. The remembrance list is displayablethrough a predetermined operation of the user. When a date in a desiredcontent is selected from the remembrance list, a day-view lifetimecalendar corresponding to the selected date is displayed. The flow ofthe operation is shown in a flow diagram of FIG. 21. The process of theflow diagram is started in accordance with the lifetime calendarapplication program upon display of a calendar-view or day-view lifetimecalendar on the display portion 5.

At step S81, the controller portion 12 monitors the operation portion 6,and thereby determines whether a display specifying operation to displaythe remembrance list has been performed.

As one example, when desiring to display the remembrance list, the usercarries out an operation of depression of the fourth soft key 29 shownin FIG. 2A in the state where a calendar-view or day-view lifetimecalendar is displayed. At step S81, the controller portion 12 determinesthe presence or absence of an operation of depression of the fourth softkey 29, and thereby determines whether display of the remembrance listhas been specified. The process proceeds to step S82 at the timing ofdetection of the operation of depression of the fourth soft key 29.

At step S82, a remembrance list stored in the memory 11 is displayed onthe display portion 5. FIG. 22 shows a display example of theremembrance list. As one example, histories of four remembrance popupdisplays are stored in the remembrance list stored in the memory 11. Inthe example of FIG. 22, histories of respective remembrance popupdisplays of Sep. 23, 2003, Apr. 30, 2004, Aug. 6, 2004, and Sep. 23,2004 are stored in the remembrance list in the memory 11.

Then, the focus is positioned on a latest one of the respectivehistories in the remembrance list, as a default. The user carries out anoperation of moving the focus and carries out an operation of depressionof the enter key 25 in the state of the focus kept positioned on adesired history. Thereby, the user selects the desired history. At stepS83, the operation state of the enter key 25 is detected, thereby todetermine whether an operation of selection of the desired history. Ifthe operation of depression of the enter key 25 is detected, then theprocess proceeds to step S84. Otherwise if not detected, then theprocess proceeds to step S85.

Thus, since the operation of depression of the enter key 25 is detected,at step S84 detection is performed for a date of a currentlyfocus-positioned history on the remembrance list, and a day-viewlifetime calendar based on the detected date is displayed on the displayportion 5. Then, the entire process of the flow diagram of FIG. 21terminates.

More specifically, in the example of FIG. 22, in the state of the focuspositioned on a history on, for example, Sep. 23, 2003, if an operationof depression of the enter key 25 is detected, then the list displayscreen of the day-view lifetime calendar, which is described above withreference to FIG. 12, is displayed on the display portion 5. Morespecifically, the day-view lifetime calendar is displayed in the formthat the respective contents of September 23rd are positioned in thecenter of the display area of the display portion 5. Thereby, a detailof the history selected from the remembrance list can be verified on theday-view lifetime calendar.

In the present example, when the history is thus selected from theremembrance list, the “list display screen” of the day-view lifetimecalendar corresponding to the date of the selected history is displayed.However, the arrangement can be such that the “thumbnail display screen”of the day-view lifetime calendar (see FIG. 13) corresponding to thedate of the selected history is displayed.

At step S85, to which the process has proceeded upon non-detection ofthe operation of depression of the enter key 25 at step S83, thecontroller portion 12 determines whether an operation of returning thedisplay screen to a previous screen displayed immediately beforedisplaying the remembrance list is carried out. As one example, in themobile phone of the present embodiment, upon detection of an operationof depression of the clear key 32 (shown in FIG. 2A) in the state wherethe remembrance list is displayed, the display screen returns to theprevious screen displayed immediately before displaying the remembrancelist.

As such, at step S85, the controller portion 12 determines the presenceor absence of an operation of depression of the clear key 32, thereby todetermine whether the operation of returning the display screen to theprevious screen is carried out. If the operation of depression of theclear key 32 is detected, then the process proceeds to step S86. At stepS86, the calendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar displayedimmediately before displaying the remembrance list is displayed on thedisplay portion 5. Then, the entire process shown in the flow diagram ofFIG. 21 terminates.

Alternately, if at step S85 no operation of depression of the clear key32 is detected, at step S87 the controller portion 12 monitors thepresence or absence of an operation of depression of any other key thanthe clear key 32. If no operation of depression of the any other key isdetected, then the process returns to step S82, and display of theremembrance list is continued. Otherwise, if operation of depression ofthe any other key is detected, then the entire process shown in the flowdiagram of FIG. 21 terminates at the timing of the detection, and aprocess corresponding to the depressed key is executed.

More specifically, in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, in thestate where the remembrance list is displayed, when the third soft key28 is depressed, the main menu is displayed, and when the on-hook key 31is depressed, the lifetime calendar application program terminates. Atstep S87, monitoring is performed to detect the presence or absence ofthe operation of depression of the key such as the third soft key 28 oron-hook key 31. At the timing of the detection of the operation ofdepression of the key such as the third soft key 28 or on-hook key 31,the process shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 21 terminates. Then,operations of control, such as display control of the main menu andtermination control of the lifetime calendar application program areperformed.

(Other Remembrance Popup Display Operation-1)

As described above, the above-described remembrance popup displayoperation presents the remembrance popup display on the basis of the“past date,” such as one-year previous date or one-month previous dateto the focus-positioned date. Alternately, however, the remembrancepopup display operation can be performed on the basis of the “number ofpast contents,” as described herebelow.

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrance popupdisplay operation in accordance with the “number of past contents” inthe mobile phone of the embodiment. In the flow diagram of FIG. 23,steps of operations similar to those of flow diagram of FIG. 17 areindicated with the same step numbers, and repetitive descriptionsthereof will be omitted herefrom.

With reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 23, in the state where acalendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar is displayed, if astationary state of the focus is detected, then at step S61 an elapse ofa preliminarily set remembrance display time is detected. Then, theprocess proceeds to step S91 at the timing of the elapse of theremembrance display time.

At step S91, the controller portion 12 detects a content having a datewith a largest number of contents among past dates with respect to afocus-positioned date of a content in accordance with information oftime provided to the respective contents stored in the memory 11.

More specifically, on the calendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar,for example, when the focus is positioned on the Sep. 13, 2005, acontent having a date previous to Sep. 13, 2005 is detected from thememory 11. Then, from among the dates on or before Sep. 13, 2005, a datewith the largest number of contents is detected, and contents of thedate are set as contents for remembrance popup display.

Then, as described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 17, atstep S66 the contents of the date with the largest number of contentsare popup displayed during the time until an operation of moving thefocus detection is detected at step S67.

For example, a large number of still image contents occur in such anevent where the user makes a trip or takes part in a wedding. Similarly,a large number of e-mail contents occur in such an event of a businessarrangement or scheduling via e-mail. As such, a date with a largenumber of contents signifies that the date is a certain important date.

As such, on the calendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar, a date withthe largest number of contents is selected from among past datesprevious to a focus-positioned date, and a content corresponding to thedetected date is presented as a remembrance popup display. Thereby, acontent having a date determined with high probability to be someimportant date for the user in the past can be presented as aremembrance popup display.

(Other Remembrance Popup Display Operation-2)

For implementation of the remembrance popup display, the remembrancepopup display can be performed in accordance with the “past date” and“number of past contents” described above. FIG. 24 is a flow diagramshowing the flow of a remembrance popup display operation by combiningthe “past date” and the “number of past contents.” In the flow diagramof FIG. 24, steps of operations similar to those of the flow diagram ofFIG. 17 are indicated with the same step numbers, and repetitivedescriptions thereof will be omitted herefrom.

With reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 24, in the state where acalendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar is displayed, if astationary state of the focus is detected, then at step S61 an elapse ofa preliminarily set remembrance display time is detected. Then, theprocess proceeds to step S101 at the timing of the elapse of theremembrance display time.

At step S101, the controller portion 12 detects contents of a one-yearprevious date with respect to a focus-positioned date (and a date closeto the one-year previous date) and contents of a one-month previous dateto the focus-positioned date (and a date close to the one-month previousdate).

At step S102, the controller portion 12 performs random detection of apast date with respect to the focus-positioned date on the calendar-viewor day-view lifetime calendar, and detects a content corresponding tothe detected date.

Then, at step S103, the controller portion 12 detects a date with thelargest number of contents from among the one-year previous date withrespect to the focus-positioned date (and the date close to the one-yearprevious date), one-month previous date to the focus-positioned date(and the date close to the one-month previous date) detected at stepsS101 and S102, and the randomly detected date.

Then, as described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 17, atstep S66 the content of the date with the largest number of contents ispresented as a remembrance popup display during the time until anoperation of moving the focus detection is detected at step S67.

Thereby, a content related to a focus-positioned date on a calendar-viewor day-view lifetime calendar and having a date determined with highprobability to be important date for the user in the past can bepresented as a remembrance popup display.

(Other Remembrance Popup Display Operation-3)

The arrangement of the remembrance popup display can be such that anyone of the above-described “per-year detection,” “per-month detection,”and “random detection” is selected at random or in accordance with thepredetermined probability, and a content of the above-describedpredetermined type selected thereby is presented as a remembrance popupdisplay. FIG. 28 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a remembrancepopup display operation to present such a display. In the flow diagramof FIG. 28, steps of operations similar to those of the flow diagram ofFIG. 17 are indicated with the same step numbers, and repetitivedescriptions thereof will be omitted herefrom.

With reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 28, in the state where acalendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar is displayed, if astationary state of the focus is detected, then at step S61 an elapse ofa preliminarily set remembrance display time is detected. Then, theprocess proceeds to step S62 at the timing of the elapse of theremembrance display time. At step S62, a content having the oldest dateis detected, and the process proceeds to S141.

At step S141, the controller portion 12 determines in accordance withthe predetermined probability which one (detection) of theabove-described “per-year detection,” “per-month detection,” and “randomdetection” is to be performed. As one example, in the mobile phone ofthe present embodiment, probabilities are preliminarily set as:probability of “per-year detection” selection=33%; probability of“per-month detection” selection=33%; and probability of “randomdetection” selection=33%. Thus, any one of the “per-year detection,”“per-month detection,” and “random detection” is determined atsubstantially the same probability.

Probabilities such as described above can be set with predeterminedweights, as: probability of “per-year detection” determination(selection)=60%; probability of “per-month detection” determination=30%;and probability of “random detection” determination=10%. In this case,the probability of the “per-year detection” determination is highest.Alternatively, the arrangement can be such that the probabilities areoptionally settable to values desired by the user.

Then, at steps S142 and S143, the controller portion 12 determines oneof the “per-year detection” and the “per-month detection” is to beexecuted. If the “per-year detection” is determined to be executed, thenthe process proceeds to step S145. Otherwise, if the “per-monthdetection” is determined to be executed, then the process proceeds tostep S146. Alternately, if any one of the “per-year detection” and the“per-month detection” is determined to be not executed, then the “randomdetection” is determined. Then, the process proceeds to step S144.

At step S145, to which the process has proceeded as a result ofdetermination made to execute the “per-year detection,” a year israndomly determined from among years corresponding to the date range offrom the oldest date to the present date. In addition, a currentlyfocus-positioned date on a calendar-view or day-view lifetime calendarcorresponding to the detected year is recognized as a base point, and acontent having a date closest to the base point is detected.

Suppose that, for the content of the date closest to the base point,there are detected contents respectively apart by the same number ofdates along a past direction and a future direction with respect to thebase point in the center. More specifically, suppose that, for example,there are detected both contents—one apart by three dates along the pastdirection from the base point and the other apart by three dates alongthe future direction from the base point. In this case, the controllerportion 12 detects the content apart along the past direction from thebase point to be the content of the date closest to the base point.

At step S146, to which the process has proceeded as a result ofdetermination made to execute the “per-month detection,” a month israndomly determined from among months corresponding to the date range offrom the one-year previous date to the present date to the present date.In addition, a currently focus-positioned date on a calendar-view orday-view lifetime calendar corresponding to the detected month isrecognized as a base point, and a content having a date closest to thebase point is detected.

Also in the “per-month detection,” in the event contents respectivelyapart by the same number of dates along the past direction and thefuture direction, the controller portion 12 detects a content apartalong the past direction from the base point to be the content of thedate closest to the base point.

At step S144, to which the process has proceeded as a result of thedetermination made to execute the “random detection,” the controllerportion 12 detects a content having a past date with respect to thecurrently focus-positioned date on the calendar-view or day-viewlifetime calendar. Then, the process proceeds to step S66.

At step S66, the content detected in the “per-year detection” at stepS145, the content detected in the “per-month detection” at step S146, orthe content detected in the “random detection” is presented as theremembrance popup display. In addition, the history is stored into theremembrance list in the memory 11. The remembrance popup display iscontinued until detection of an operation of moving the focus at stepS67.

Thus, any one of the “per-year detection,” “per-month detection,” and“random detection” is selected in accordance with the predeterminedprobability or at random, and a content selected thereby is presented asthe remembrance popup display. Thereby, remembrance popup display havingcertain degrees of both regularity and randomness can be implemented.

(Linking Process for Linking Still Image Content and Private InformationStored in Telephone Directory)

A linking process for linking a still image content and privateinformation stored in the telephone directory will be describedhereinbelow. According to the mobile phone of the present embodiment,either a person imaged on a still image content captured by the cameraunit 8 or a person imaged on a still image content downloaded across thenetwork is designated, and the person is linked to the privateinformation of the person registered in the telephone directory. Thisenables making a direct telephone call or e-mail transmission to theperson corresponding to the image selected from the still image content.

FIG. 25 shows a flow of operations in the range of from the step ofspecifying a person to the step of linking of corresponding privateinformation thereto. A still image content either captured by the cameraunit 8 or downloaded across the network is stored into the memory 11. Atthe timing of the storage, the flow shown in the flow diagram is startedin accordance with a face image linking processing program stored in thememory 11.

To begin with, at step S111, a face image portion in the still imagecontent, which has been stored into the memory 11, is extracted by thecontroller portion 12. Then, the process proceeds to step S112. Morespecifically, in the case of a still image of a plurality of persons,such as a group photograph, face image portions of the respectivepersons are extracted. Even in the case of a still image content of onlya single person, a face image portion of the person is extracted in thelike manner.

At step S112, a comparison is performed between the face image of therespective person extracted at step S111 and the image of the respectiveuser stored in the telephone directory in the memory 11. At step S113,the controller portion 12 determines whether a user matching with theface images of the persons detected at step S111 is present in the usersregistered in the telephone directory in the memory 11.

If no matching user is determined to be present, then the processproceeds to step S116. Otherwise, if a matching user is determined to bepresent, then the process proceeds to step S114.

At step S114, private information inclusive of, for example, a telephonenumber and e-mail address, of the matched user, which privateinformation is stored in the telephone directory, is acquired. Then, theprocess proceeds to step S115. At step S115, a linking process isperformed for linking the still image content, which has been storedinto the memory 11, and the private information, which is stored in thetelephone directory. Then, the entire process shown in the flow diagramof FIG. 25 terminates.

More specifically, the memory 11 includes a linking information table,and the controller portion 12 stores the following into the table:

1. Identification number (or, “ID,” hereinbelow) of the still imagecontent;

2. ID of the respective face image extracted from the still imagecontent;

3. Linkage information for linking the respective face image and therespective user registered in the telephone directory;

For the linkage information, the controller portion 12 stores into thelinking information table, for example, registration numberscorresponding to the respective users, such as physical addressescontained in the telephone directory storing the private information ofthe user or sequence numbers contained in the telephone directory.

As described above, when no matching user is determined at step S113 tobe present, the process proceeds to step S116. At step S116, thecontroller portion 12 registers the following into the linkinginformation table:

1. ID of the still image content;

2. ID of the respective face image extracted from the still imagecontent;

3. Non-linkage information indicative of absence of private informationcontained in the telephone directory.

Then, the entire process shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 25terminates.

(Automatic Transmission Operation)

Automatic transmission operation will be described hereinbelow. Asdescribed above, the linking process is performed for linking therespective person imaged on the still image and the private informationcontained in the telephone directory. Thereby, a telephone call, e-mailtransmission, or the like can be directly (automatically) made to theuser corresponding to the image selected from the still image content.FIG. 26 is a flow diagram showing a flow of such an automatic telephonecall or e-mail transmission operation. At the timing of specification ofdisplay of a still image content on a list or thumbnail display screenof a lifetime calendar, the flow shown in the flow diagram is started inaccordance with the face image linking processing program stored in thememory 11.

At step S121, the viewer function of the camera control program isactivated for displaying the still image content. Then, the processproceeds to step S122.

At step S122, the controller portion 12 references the linkinginformation table in accordance with the ID of the still image contentfor display. Thereby, the controller portion 12 determines the presenceor absence of an image of a person unregistered in the telephonedirectory.

More specifically, as described above, when private informationcorresponding to a user is absent in the telephone directory, the ID ofthe face image of the user and the non-linkage information indicative ofthe absence of the private information in the telephone directory isstored into the linking information table. As such, the controllerportion 12 determines the presence or absence of the non-linkageinformation corresponding to the still image content of interest fordisplay. Thereby, the controller portion 12 is able to easily detect thepresence or absence of a person corresponding to private information notstored in the telephone directory from among the persons imaged on thestill image content. If, at step S122, then the presence of a personcorresponding to private information not stored in the telephonedirectory is not detected, the process proceeds to step S123. Otherwise,if the presence of a person corresponding to private information notstored in the telephone directory is detected, the process proceeds tostep S126.

At step S123, to which the process has proceeded in the instance ofnon-detection of a person corresponding to private information notstored in the telephone directory, the still image content is displayedon the display portion 5. Concurrently, the focus is positioned on aportion such as a face portion of any one of persons imaged on the stillimage content.

Alternately, at step S126, to which the process has proceeded when aperson corresponding to private information not stored in the telephonedirectory is detected, the still image content is displayed on thedisplay portion 5. Concurrently, among the persons imaged on the stillimage content, a portion such as a face portion of a personcorresponding to private information not stored in the telephonedirectory (that is, a person corresponding to non-linkage informationstored in the linking information table) is gray displayed. In addition,among the persons imaged on the still image content, a portion such as aface portion of a person corresponding to private information stored inthe telephone directory is focus-positioned and displayed.

The above enables the user, who has observed the still image contentdisplayed on the display portion 5, to quickly (or at one glance)recognize the persons corresponding to the private information stored inthe telephone directory.

The focus positioned on any one of the persons imaged on the still imagecontent is movable between or among the respective images of thepersons. In units of detection of an operation of the cross key 24,focus movement and display control is sequentially performed over therespective persons.

In the state of the focus positioned on any one of the persons imaged onthe still image content, when an operation of depression of the enterkey 25 is detected, a selection screen allowing the user either to makea telephone call or to create an e-mail piece is displayed on thedisplay portion 5. On the selection screen, the user selects eithertelephone call or e-mail creation.

At steps S124 and S127 of the flow diagram shown in FIG. 26, thecontroller portion 12 determines (or detects) which one of the telephonecall or e-mail creation is selected. If the e-mail creation is selected,then the process proceeds to step S125. Otherwise, if the telephone callis selected, then the process proceeds to step S128.

At step S125, to which the process has proceeded when the e-mailcreation is selected, the linking information table is referenced, andlinkage information corresponding to the image of the person beingfocus-positioned on the still image is detected therefrom. Then, inaccordance with the linkage information, an e-mail address of the personregistered in the telephone directory is read out, and the read oute-mail creation screen for creating an e-mail piece having the e-mailaddress input into an input field for the addressee is displayed on thedisplay portion 5.

The above makes it possible to directly transmit the e-mail piece to theperson corresponding to the image selected on the still image contentjust by performing a transmission operation by inputting, for example, acaption (subject name) of the e-mail piece and text of the e-mail piece.

At step S128, to which the process has proceeded when the telephone callis selected, the linking information table is referenced, and thenlinkage information corresponding to the person being focus-positionedon the still image content is detected. Then, in accordance with thelinkage information, the communications circuit 2 is controlled totransmit the telephone call to a telephone number of the person storedin the telephone directory. Thereby, the user is able to directly makethe telephone call to the person corresponding to the image selected onthe still image content.

(Acquisition Operation for Acquiring Private Information of Person WhoseImage is Gray Displayed)

The following describes an acquisition operation for acquiring privateinformation of a person whose image is gray displayed or correspondingto on a gray displayed image on a still image content. As describedabove, the person corresponding to the private information not stored inthe telephone directory is gray displayed on the still image contentdisplayed on the display portion 5. The private information of theperson corresponding to the gray displayed image can be acquired from amobile phone of an other user. FIG. 27 is a flow diagram showing a flowof the acquisition operation for acquiring private information of theperson corresponding to the gray displayed image.

The flow of the flow diagram is started in accordance with the faceimage linking processing program upon detection of an operation ofdepression of the enter key 25 in the state of the focus beingpositioned on the person corresponding to the gray displayed image.

At step S131, the controller portion 12 displays the telephone directorytogether with a message, such as saying “Select a recipient,” on thedisplay portion 5. Thereby, the user is prompted to select a recipientof a face image of the person corresponding to the gray displayed image.

In response, the user (of the mobile phone of the present embodiment) isto select from the telephone directory a user likely having the privateinformation of the person corresponding to the gray displayed image. Atstep S132, the controller portion 12 determines whether an operation ofselection of the recipient user is carried out. At the timing of theoperation of selection having been carried out, the process proceeds tostep S133.

At step S133, the controller portion 12 operates as follows. An e-mailpiece is automatically created by inputting thereinto an e-mail addressof the recipient user selected from the telephone directory and amessage such as saying “Please give me private information of a personimaged on an attached image.” Further, the e-mail piece is provided witha header including transmission request information indicative that thee-mail piece is to make a transmission request for the privateinformation.

Upon receipt of the transmission request information included in theheader, a controller portion 12 of a mobile phone performs a comparisonbetween a face image attached to the e-mail piece and images ofrespective users stored in the mobile phone. If a matching user isdetected, then an e-mail piece having attached private informationinclusive, for example, a telephone number and e-mail address is createdand transmitted as a response.

At step S134, the controller portion 12 determines whether the response(e-mail piece) is transmitted. If the response e-mail is transmitted,then the process proceeds to step S135. At step S135, privateinformation attached to the response e-mail piece is stored into theprivate information registration field (private information registrationfield for the person corresponding to the gray displayed image) for theuser in the telephone directory. Thereby, even when private informationinclusive a telephone number, e-mail address, and the like of a personimaged on a still image content is unknown, the private information canbe acquired from a mobile phone of an other user. Then, communicationwith the person can be accomplished by either making a telephone call ortransmitting an e-mail piece to the person.

When the private information of the person corresponding to the graydisplayed image has been able to be acquired the face image of theperson corresponding to the gray displayed image and the acquiredprivate information are stored into the telephone directory. Further,the linking process is performed to link the private information and theface image of the person corresponding to the gray displayed image.Thereby, the person corresponding to the gray displayed image on thestill image content is recognized or handled as a person correspondingto private information stored in the telephone directory (the image ofthe person gray display is not performed.).

Effects/Advantages of the Embodiment

Clearly from description given above, according to the mobile phone ofthe present embodiment, contents belonging to the same time range aredetected in accordance with the information of time contained in therespective content different in type. Items of content-related graphicalinformation (such as icons, thumbnail images, etc.) of the contentsbelonging to the same time range are graphically displayed along thetime series. In an other expression, items of the content-relatedinformation, such as icons and/or thumbnail images, of contents havingtime information belonging to the time range of respective dates aregraphically displayed on the lifetime calendar segmented in units of thetime range defined as the date.

Thereby, different types of contents can be displayed collectively inunits of the respective date on the lifetime calendar. Consequently, theuser is able to collectively verify the respective different types ofcontents belonging to a long time range, such as one month or one year,and is able to easily and quickly retrieve a desired content from amonga plurality of different types of contents.

Since different types of contents can thus be graphically displayedcollectively in units of the respective date, the user is able to makean opportunity of taking a next action from past events. This can bedone in such a manner that remembering a friend from, for example,thumbnail images of still image contents and/or e-mail contents oftransmitted/received e-mail pieces, the user again transmits an e-mailpiece to the friend.

Such contents are graphically displayed on the lifetime calendar bybeing automatically distributed in units of the information of timecontained in the respective content. As such, it is sufficient for theuser to perform normal terminal (device) operations, such as transmitand receive operations and imaging operations using the camera unit 8 toobtain the display. That is, the respective contents can be graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar without forcing the user to have, forexample, special operations and consciousness.

Since the different types of contents are graphically displayedcollectively in units of the respective date on the lifetime calendar,the lifetime calendar can be used as, for example, a past operationhistory or a diary.

In the event that, for example, transmitted e-mail contents and birthdaycontents are to be graphically displayed on the day-view lifetimecalendar, in the case where still images of users corresponding to thetelephone directory and the private information registration fields,thumbnail images of the still images are displayed on the day-viewlifetime calendar. Consequently, users corresponding to transmissionsources and addressees and users corresponding to the birthdays caneasily be recognized.

The content-related graphical information of interest for display on thelifetime calendar are preliminarily set by specifying settings such asthe display and filter settings. Consequently, only desiredcontent-related graphical information can be displayed on the lifetimecalendar. Consequently, only user-desired contents can be graphicallydisplayed on the lifetime calendar, therefore enabling a desired contentto be retrieved even more easily and quickly.

The “list display screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar graphicallydisplays contents by using character information, icons, and thumbnailimages corresponding to the contents, such that the user is enabled toeasily recognize the “contents” of the contents. Further, the “thumbnaildisplay screen” of the day-view lifetime calendar graphically displayscontents by primarily using, for example, icons and thumbnail imagescorresponding to the contents, such that the user is enabled torecognize many contents at one time.

The day-view lifetime calendar graphically displays contents bysuppressing a display date field(s) with no content. In an otherexpression, the contents are displayed so that date display fields areadjacent one another. Thereby, an even more increased number of contentscan be graphically displayed on the day-view lifetime calendar.

In the case where there are a plurality of still image contents forgraphical display in one of the respective display areas for dates onthe calendar-view lifetime calendar, one still image content is selectedfrom the plurality of still images and is graphically displayed in thedisplay area. Then, a still image content other than the still imagecontent corresponding to the currently graphically displayed thumbnailimage is selected from the plurality of still images contents at apredetermined time interval, such as the interval of three, six, ortwelve hours. Thereby, the thumbnail image of interest for display onthe display area for the date with the plurality of still image contentsfor graphical display can be updated at the predetermined time intervalon the calendar-view lifetime calendar. Consequently, when, for example,the user observes the calendar-view lifetime calendar at thepredetermined time interval, the user is able to view a new thumbnailimage every time the user observes the calendar-view lifetime calendar.

In the case where the focus is kept positioned for the predeterminedtime period or longer, such as three seconds or longer, on a displayarea for a date with a plurality of still image contents for graphicaldisplay in the respective display areas for dates on the calendar-viewlifetime calendar, the thumbnail images of the still image contents forgraphical display on the display area of the date are updated tothumbnail images of new still image contents. Then, the updatedthumbnail images are displayed while the focus is being positioned.Thereby, thumbnail images of still image contents corresponding to afocus-positioned date are sequentially updated and displayed, such thatthe user is able to recognize all the still image contents correspondingto the date only by positioning the focus on the display area for thedesired date.

By moving the focus to the year index, month index, or date index,changing of graphical display of contents to be graphically displayedcan be performed on the per-year, per-month, or per-day basis.Consequently, a desired content can be easily and quickly detected froma large amount of contents accumulated on the per-year, per-month, orper-day basis.

In the event of changing from the calendar-view lifetime calendar to theday-view lifetime calendar, when a display area for a date with nocontent is specified on the calendar-view lifetime calendar, a newschedule creation content for specifying the new schedule registrationis graphically displayed in the display area for the specified date.Consequently, the user is able to easily perform the new scheduleregistration by specifying the date with no content.

(Effects/Advantages of Remembrance Popup Display Function)

According to the mobile phone of the present embodiment, when astationary state of the focus for a predetermined time period or longeris detected on a calendar-view or day-view lifetime calendar, thecontroller portion 12 detects contents corresponding to past dates withrespect to the currently focus-stationed date in order of priority of aper-year basis, per-month basis, and random basis, and graphicallydisplays the contents to be overlaid on the calendar-view or day-viewlifetime calendar.

When presenting a calendar type display, such as the calendar-view orday-view calendar display, the consciousness of the user is prone to bedirected to dates after the present date (future dates). However, theconsciousness of the user can be directed as well to past dates in themanner that past contents, such as one-year or one-month previouscontents, are graphically displayed in accordance with the remembrancepopup display function. Consequently, past remembrances (contents)forgotten over time can be re-recognized, and overlooked contents ofpast dates can be newly recognized.

Further, since the remembrance popup display is performed when thestationary state of the focus is detected, the remembrance popup displaycan be performed without disturbing the user operation. Further, sincethe remembrance popup display is automatically (passively) performedwhen the stationary state of the focus is detected, the necessity ofspecial user operations for the remembrance popup display can beavoided.

Further, when contents exceeding the number to be graphically displayedat one time are present, a different content is graphically displayedevery time the remembrance popup display is performed. Consequently, theprobability of, for example, content re-recognition and new-contentrecognition can be further increased.

The order of priority for performing the remembrance popup display is asfollows:

1. Still image content captured or acquired by the camera unit 8;

2. Protection-set received or transmitted e-mail content;

3. Schedule content;

4. Still image content downloaded via a network; and

5. Non-protection-set received or transmitted e-mail content.

Consequently, a content having high probability of remembrancerecollection by the user can be preferentially presented as theremembrance popup display, consequently making it possible to implementinformation display with high utility value.

Further, content-related graphical information displayed as theremembrance popup displays are stored as histories into the remembrancelist. When desiring to recognize details of a content graphicallydisplayed in the remembrance list, the user selects a date correspondingto the content desired for recognition from the remembrance list.Thereby, a day-view lifetime calendar corresponding to the date of thecontent presented as the remembrance popup display is displayed.Consequently, the user is able to recognize the details of the contentpresented as the remembrance popup display on the day-view lifetimecalendar.

(Effects/Advantages of Linking Process for Linking Still Image Contentand Private Information Stored in Telephone Directory)

According to the mobile phone of the present embodiment, either a personimaged on a still image content captured by the camera unit 8 or aperson imaged on a still image content downloaded across the network isdesignated, and the person is linked to the private information of theperson stored in the telephone directory. This enables making a directtelephone call or e-mail transmission to the person corresponding to theimage selected from the still image content.

In the event of display of the still image content, a personcorresponding to private information not stored in the telephonedirectory is gray displayed. Thereby, a person corresponding to privateinformation stored or not stored in the telephone directory can bepresented to be quickly recognizable to a user who has observed thestill image content displayed on the display portion 5.

Further, when a person corresponding to the gray displayed image isselected from among images of the persons in the still image content, atransmission request for private information of the person correspondingto the gray displayed image is made to a mobile phone of an other user.Thereby, even when a communication-address unknown person (personcorresponding to a gray displayed image) is included in a still imagecontent, private information of the communication-address unknown personcan be acquired from a mobile phone of an other user. Thereby,communication with the communication-address unknown person can beaccomplished by either making a telephone call or transmitting an e-mailpiece to the person.

MODIFIED EXAMPLES

According to the embodiment described above, the present invention isadapted to the mobile phone. However, effects similar to the abovedescribed can be attained by adapting the present invention to any oneof other devices, such as PHS phones (PHS Personal Handyphone System),PDA apparatuses (PDA Personal Digital Assistant), notebook/desktoppersonal computers, and mobile game machines inasmuch as the deviceshandle a plurality of different types of contents.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described abovejust by way of one example of the invention, but of course, evenembodiments other than the above-described embodiment may be made withvarious modifications without departing technical spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic apparatus comprising: an imagecapture section configured to capture an image that comprises one ormore faces; a face image extractor section configured to extract a faceimage of at least one of the faces in the captured image; a memorysection configured to store contacts, where at least a subset of thecontacts include respective face images of subjects and respectivelycorresponding personal information of the subjects; a processing sectionconfigured to: determine whether the extracted face image matches one ofthe face images stored in the memory section for which correspondingpersonal information is also stored, and if the extracted face imagematches one of the face images stored in the memory section, perform alinking process of linking the extracted face image with the personalinformation corresponding to the face image that was determined tomatch; and a display section configured to display a modified version ofthe captured image in which a face image corresponding to the one of thefaces in the captured image from which the extracted face image wasextracted is displayed in a first mode if the extracted face image hasbeen linked with personal information by the linking process and isdisplayed in a second mode if the extracted face image has not beenlinked with personal information by the linking process, wherein thefirst mode and the second mode respectively comprise distinctmodifications of the face image corresponding to the one of the faces inthe captured image from which the extracted face image was extracted,and wherein, when a face image is displayed in the second mode, afunction is enabled whereby a user may select the face image that isdisplayed in the second mode then select to generate an email messageand select a recipient from among the contacts stored in the memorysection, whereupon the processing section automatically generates anemail message that includes in an address field thereof an email addressassociated with the selected contact and that includes an imagecorresponding to the face image that is displayed in the second mode. 2.The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the face image extractorsection is further configured to, when the captured image comprises morethan one faces, extract a face image of each of the faces in thecaptured image, the processing section is further configured to, foreach extracted face image: determine whether the respective extractedface image matches one of the face images stored in the memory sectionfor which corresponding personal information is also stored, and if therespective extracted face image matches one of the face images stored inthe memory section for which corresponding personal information is alsostored in the memory, perform a linking process of linking therespective extracted face image with the personal informationcorresponding to the face image that was determined to match; and themodified version of the captured image displayed by the display sectionincludes, for each extracted face image, a respective face imagecorresponding to the one of the faces in the captured image from whichthe respective extracted face image was extracted, which is displayed inthe first mode if the respective extracted face image has been linkedwith personal information by the linking process and is displayed in thesecond mode if the respective extracted face image has not been linkedwith personal information by the linking process.
 3. The electronicapparatus of claim 2, wherein when a face image is displayed in thesecond mode, a function is enabled whereby a user may select therespective face image that is displayed in the second mode and inputpersonal information corresponding thereto, whereupon the respectiveface image that is displayed in the second mode and the correspondingpersonal information are stored in the memory section.
 4. The electronicapparatus of claim 2, wherein, for each extracted face image, the secondmode comprises the respective face image corresponding to the one of thefaces in the captured image from which the respective extracted faceimage was extracted being displayed in half-tone.
 5. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a face image is displayed in thesecond mode, a function is enabled whereby a user may select the faceimage that is displayed in the second mode and input personalinformation corresponding thereto, whereupon the face image that isdisplayed in the second mode and the corresponding personal informationare stored in the memory section.
 6. The electronic apparatus of claim1, wherein the second mode comprises the face image corresponding to theone of the faces in the captured image from which the extracted faceimage was extracted being displayed in half-tone.
 7. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein when a face image is displayed in thefirst mode, the face image is focus-positioned.
 8. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein the personal information of a subjectincludes a name of the subject.
 9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1,wherein the personal information of a subject includes a telephonenumber of the subject.
 10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein,when a face image is displayed in the first mode, a function is enabledwhereby a user may select the face image that is displayed in the firstmode and select to execute a telephone call, wherein the electronicapparatus automatically executes a telephone call to the telephonenumber included in the personal information linked with the extractedface image.
 11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein thepersonal information of a subject includes an email address of thesubject.
 12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein, when a faceimage is displayed in the first mode, a function is enabled whereby auser may select the face image that is displayed in the first mode andselect to generate an email message, wherein the email address includedin the personal information linked with the extracted face image isautomatically included in an address field of the generated email. 13.The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the personal information ofa subject includes a birthday of the subject.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium having program code stored thereon, the programcode being executable by a processor to: extract a face image of atleast one face in a captured image; determine whether the extracted faceimage matches a face image stored in a memory for which contacts, whereat least a subset of the contacts include respective face images, andcorresponding personal information is also stored in the memory; if theextracted face image matches a face image stored in the memory sectionfor which corresponding personal information is also stored in thememory, perform a linking process of linking the extracted face imagewith the personal information corresponding to the face image that wasdetermined to match; cause a display section to display a modifiedversion of the captured image in which a face image corresponding to theat least one face in the captured image from which the extracted faceimage was extracted is displayed in a first mode if the extracted faceimage has been linked with personal information by the linking processand is displayed in a second mode if the extracted face image has notbeen linked with personal information by the linking process; and when aface image is displayed in the second mode, enable a function whereby auser may select the face image that is displayed in the second mode thenselect to generate an email message and select a recipient from amongthe contacts stored in the memory section, whereupon automaticallygenerate an email message that includes in an address field thereof anemail address associated with the selected contact and that includes animage corresponding to the face image that is displayed in the secondmode, wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively comprisedistinct modifications of the face image corresponding to the one of thefaces in the captured image from which the extracted face image wasextracted.
 15. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a faceimage extractor portion that extracts a face image of at least oneperson in a captured image; a matching image detector portion thatdetects from a memory a matching face image matching with the extractedface image, which has been extracted by the face image extractorportion, the memory containing or storing contacts, where at least asubset of the contacts include face images and information of respectiveusers; a linking processing portion that, when a matching face imagematching with the extracted face image, which has been extracted by theface image extractor portion, is detected by the matching imagedetector, performs a linking process to link the extracted face imageand information corresponding to the extracted face image and stored inthe memory; a linkage determining portion that, when displaying thecaptured image, determines whether a face image of an image of theperson in the captured image and information corresponding to the faceimage and stored in the memory are linked together by the linkingprocessing portion, wherein an image of a person determined by thelinkage determining portion to be not linked by the linking process isdisplayed in the captured image in a display mode different from adisplay mode for the image of the person determined to be linked by thelinking process, wherein the image of a person determined to be notlinked by the linking process is displayed in the captured image in afirst display mode, and the image of a person determined to be linked bythe linking process is displayed in the captured image in a seconddisplay mode, with both the first display mode and the second displaymode being distinct modifications of the captured image; wherein, whenan image of a person is displayed in the first display mode, a functionis enabled whereby a user may the image of a person that is displayed inthe first mode then select to generate an email message and select arecipient from among the contacts stored in the memory section,whereupon the processing section automatically generates an emailmessage that includes in an address field thereof an email addressassociated with the selected contact and that includes an imagecorresponding to the image of a person that is displayed in the firstmode.
 16. A method of processing an image, the method comprising:extracting a face image of at least one face in a captured image;determining whether the extracted face image matches a face image storedin a memory for which contacts, where at least a subset of the contactsinclude respective face images, and corresponding personal informationis also stored in the memory; if the extracted face image matches a faceimage stored in the memory section for which corresponding personalinformation is also stored in the memory, performing a linking processof linking the extracted face image with the personal informationcorresponding to the face image that was determined to match; causing adisplay section to display a modified version of the captured image inwhich a face image corresponding to the at least one face in thecaptured image from which the extracted face image was extracted isdisplayed in a first mode if the extracted face image has been linkedwith personal information by the linking process and is displayed in asecond mode if the extracted face image has not been linked withpersonal information by the linking process; and when a face image isdisplayed in the second mode, enable a function whereby a user mayselect the face image that is displayed in the second mode then selectto generate an email message and select a recipient from among thecontacts stored in the memory section, whereupon automatically generatean email message that includes in an address field thereof an emailaddress associated with the selected contact and that includes an imagecorresponding to the face image that is displayed in the second mode,wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively comprisedistinct modifications of the face image corresponding to the at leastone of the faces in the captured image from which the extracted faceimage was extracted.